SERMONS 


ON   THE 


PASSION  OF  CHRIST 


BY 


DR.  MTtRTIN  LUTHER, 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  GERMAN. 


ROCK  ISLAND,  ILL. 

LUTHERAN   AUGUSTANA    BOOK   CONCERN. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1871, 
BY  SCHULZE   k   GASSMANN, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Southern  District  of  Ohio. 


CONTENTS. 


Pa^e. 


.> 


Introductory    Meditations.     (Transl.  by  Prof.  E. 
Smid  ) „ 

First  Passion  Sermon.  (Transl.  by  Rev.  J  T. Isensee.)      27 
The  occurrences  at  ihe  Mount  of  Olives. 

Second  Passion-Sermon.    (Translated  by  Rev.  J.  T. 

Iseusee.) 45 

The  seizure  of  Christ  in  the  Garden. 

Third  Passion-Sermon     (Translated  by  Rev.  J.  T. 

Isensee. ) Gl 

Christ  refusing  to  be  rescued  by  Peter's  sword 

Fourth  P\ssion-Sermon.     (Translated  by  Rev.  J.  T. 

Iseusee.) '  75 

The  Lord.Jesusled  to  Annas  and  Caiaphas  and  tried 
by  the  Jews. 

Fifth  Passion  Sermon.     (Translated  by  Rev.  J.  T. 

Isensee. ) 85 

Peter  thrice  denies  the  Lord  Jesus  in  the  house  of 
Caiaphas 

Sixth  Passton-Sermon.     (Translated  by  Rev.  J.  T. 

Isensee.) 97 

Christ  is  delivered  to  Pilate.— Judas  hangs  himself. 
-The  Potters  Field. 

Seventh  Passion-Sermon.  (Translated  Rev.  by  J.  T. 

Isensee.) 117 

Christ  accused  before  Pilate  and  condemned  to 
death. 

Eighth  Passion  Sermon.     (Translated  by  Rev.  J.  T. 

Isensee.) 129 

Explanation  of  several  points  in  the  history  just 
given. 

Ninth  Passion-Sermon.     (Translated  by  Rev.   J.  T. 

Isensee.) 143 

Christ  led  away  to  be  crucified. — Simon  bears  the 
Cross  after  Him. —  The  women  who  follow  bewTail 
and  lament  Him. 

Tenth  Passion-Sermon.     (Translated  by  Rev.  J.  T. 

Ispnsee.) 151' 

Christ  nailed  to  the  Cross.— His  deeds,  sufferings 
and  wrords  on  the  Cross. 


Eleventh  Passion- Sermon.  (Translated  by  Rev.  J.  T. 

Isenaee.) 17(> 

Christ's  Prayer  on  the  Cross. — The  Malefactor  on 
the  Right. 

Twelfth  Passion-Sermon.  (Translated  by  Rev.  J.  T. 

Isensee.  i 103 

Christ  commits  His  mother  to  the  earn  of  John. 
The  soldiers  do  not  break  tne  legs  of  Christ,  but 
with  a  spear  pierce  His  side,  from  which  blood  and 
water  flow. 

Thirteenth  Passion-Sermon.     (Translated  by  Rev. 

J.  T.  Isensee.) 213 

Christ's  body  taken  down  from  the  Cross  and  laid 
in  a  tomb.    The  soldiers  guard  the  tomb. 


SERMONS  ON  THE  PASSION  OF  CHRIST. 


INTRODUCTORY  MEDITATIONS. 

Mn  this  season  of  the  year  it  is  customary  for  the 
Church,  both  in  her  hymns  and  sermons,  to 
dwell  especially  upon  the  passion  of  Christ.  We  also 
will  follow  this  custom.  Indeed,  we  consider  it  very 
appropriate  that  the  narrative  of  the  sufferings  of 
our  Lord  should,  at  a  certain  fixed  period  of  the 
year,  be  read  in  the  churches  to  the  people,  word  for 
word,  from  beginning  to  end,  and  that  it  be  fully 
explained  to  them,  so  that  they  may  understand  its 
use,  and  derive  from  it  much  consolation.  It  is 
sadly  evident  with  what  effect  the  devil  resists  the 
Gospel,  though  it  be  preached  daily,  and  how  the 
hearts  grow  cold  towards  it,  so  that  they  do  not 
amend,  but  rather  grow  worse  from  year  to  year. 
This  distressing  fact  ought  surely  to  prompt  us  to 
continue  in  the  preaching  of  the  Word,  and  espe- 
cially of  that  part  of  it  which  tells  of  the  suffering 
and  death  of  Christ.  We  must  endeavor  to  have 
the  people  know  and  appreciate  this  part  of  the 
Gospel ;  nor  dare  we  be  derelict  in  the  performance 
of  this  duty.  If  we  would  neglect  to  preach  on  this 
subject  one,  two  or  three  years,  the  people  would 
surely  forget  it.  Even  we,  who  continually  busy 
ourselves  with  the  Word,  experience  a  decrease  of 
interest  in  it  if  we  neglect  the  perusal  of  it  for  a  day 
or  two;  how  great  then  would  be  the  injury  to  the 
people  aj:  large,  if  they  should  miss  the  preaching  of 


6  INTRODUCTORY  MEDITATIONS. 

these  truths  for  a  year  or  two?  They  would 
become  as  wild  as  beasts;  therefore  it  is  so  urgent 
that  we  preach  and  teach  the  Word  in  season  and 
out  of  season.  The  devil  is  ever  active  in  resisting; 
the  efficacy  of  the  Word,  else  there  would  be  many 
believers,  and  people  would  be  converted;  for  sure- 
ly it  is  now  preached  often  and  clearly. 

For  the  Papists  this  week  is  one  of  torture;  they 
sing  and  read  and  preach  exceedingly  much  concern- 
ing the  passion  of  Christ.  But  what  does  it  avail 
them  ?  It  is  true,  they  speak  of  Christ's  sufferings  ; 
but  in  their  heart  there  is  no  thought  of  them,  or 
else  they  would  not  prize  so  highly  their  own  self- 
inflicted  penances  and  their  own  works.  But  it  is 
not  much  better  with  us,  who  have  the  pure  Gospel 
abundantly  preached  to  us;  our  lives  and  deeds 
indicate  that  we  also  have  disregarded  it.  The 
effects  of  the  preaching  of  the  Word  are  therefore 
not  the  same  with  all,  inasmuch  as  not  all  are  dis- 
posed to  receive  it.  If  we  were  to  relate  to  the 
people  some  idle  tales  and  stories,  they  would  re- 
member them  at  once;  whereas  now,  thousands 
upon  thousands  hear  repeatedly  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel  without  retaining  it,  and  without  profiting 
by  its  instructions.  They  come  back  from 
church  just  as  they  went  there.  They  hear  the 
Word,  but  disregard  it  as  something  common  and 
unimportant. 

There  are  some,  on  the  other  hand,  who  hear  it 
gladly  when  they  are  told  Christ  rendered  satisfac- 
tion for  us,  and  that  by  our  own  merits  and  works 
we  cannot  obtain  salvation,  but  that  Christ  alone 
has  purchased  it  for  us  by  His  sufferings  and  death  ; 
but  as  soon  as  they  are  told  that  to  enjoy  tke  bene- 


SERMONS  ON  THE  PASSION  OF  CHRIST. 

fits  of  this  atonement  they  must  avoid  avarice, 
worldly-mindedness,  gluttony,  self-esteem,  &c,  they 
are  displeased  and  become  enraged.  They  are  un- 
willing to  be  rebuked  on  account  of  their  sins,  or 
to  be  regarded  as  Gentiles.  Here,  also,  it  is  the 
devil  who  labors  to  make  the  Word  of  no  effect,  and 
we  cannot  expect  any  thing  else  but  such  aversioi 
to  the  application  of  the  truth.  It  behooves  us  sv 
much  the  more,  to  continue  steadfast  in  the  Word, 
to  the  glory  of  God  and  to  our  own  souls'  salva- 
tion, that  some  may  learn  to  love  it,  although  many 
are  indifferent,  and  that  thus  the  sacrifice  of  the 
Son  of  God  in  our  behalf  may  be  known  and  re- 
membered. 

The  preaching  of  this  truth  began  in  Paradise, 
when  it  was  said  to  Adam  and  Eve  that  the  seed  of 
the  woman  should  crush  the  head  of  the  serpent. 
The  Church  has  retained  the  proclamation  of  this 
Gospel,  and  will  retain  it  until  the  end  of  time. 
Nor  can  we  perform  any  better  service  than  to  pro- 
claim everywhere,  in  the  church,  from  the  pulpit 
and  at  home,  this  fact  of  the  sacrifice  of  God  for  the 
redemption  of  all  mankind. 

As  Israel  was  heavily  burdened  with  the  ceremo- 
nial law,  and  was  compelled  to  sacrifice  calves,  heif- 
ers, &c,  thus  the  papacy  still  conducts  its  divine 
worship.  If  we  had  to  observe  all  those  ceremonies 
and  defray  all  the  expenses  incident  to  them,  I  fear 
there  would  be  many  complaints  of  insufferable 
burdens.  But  not  much  is  required  of  us :  only  this 
pleasing  service,  that  we  should  remember  His 
boundless  mercy,  manifested  in  the  sacrifice  of  His 
Son  for  our  sins,  and  that  we  should  preach  this 
and  teach  it  to  our  children.     Let  us  thank  God  it 


8  INTRODUCTORY  MEDITATIONS. 

we  can  enjoy  such  divine  service,  which  surely  will 
not  be  useless,  but  will  rather  bring  forth  glorious 
fruits  and  many  blessings  unto  men. 

The  Turks  have  lost  this  kind  of  worship ;  they 
have  forgotten  Christ  and  substituted  Mahomet  in 
His  place.  The  Jews  have  also  rejected  Him.  Nor 
is  it  much  better  in  Germany,  where  people  have 
become  weary  of  this  worship  and  neglect  it.  But 
we  may  depend  upon  it  that  as  soon  as  this  true 
worship  is  lost,  so  soon  will  punishment  follow. 
If  we  refuse  to  worship  God,  when  we  need  only  to 
hear  a  sermon  which  tells  us  of  the  suffering  and 
death  of  Christ  for  us,  wTe  need  look  for  nothing 
else  but  that,  as  a  well  merited  penalty,  another 
more  severe,  and  withal  an  ineffective  kind  of 
worship  will  be  imposed  upon  us.  Therefore  we 
ought  to  preach  and  hear,  light  willingly,  of  the 
passion  of  our  Lord,  so  that  we  may  never  forget 
its  blessings,  even  though  Satan,  the  old  enemy  of 
truth,  may  busily  attempt  to  resist  and  crush  the 
Word. 

But  again,  our  own  wants  require  that  this  be 
done.  As  long  as  we  live  in  this  world  our  flesh 
and  blood  will  burden  us,  even  as  would  the  weight 
of  a  millstone.  On  every  side  we  are  subjected  to 
temptations  which  take  possession  of  our  thoughts 
and  time,  so  that  we  forget  Christ  and  His  suffer- 
ings ;  earthly  possessions,  worldly  honor,  food,  drink, 
carnal  indulgences,  misfortunes,  sickness  and 
adversity  are  all,  more  or  less,  apt  to  have  such  an 
effect  upon  us.  Hence  it  is  necessary  to  set  apart 
an  especial  season  for  the.  service  of  God.  The 
devil  is  ever  on  the  alert  to  insinuate  all  kinds  of 
wickedness  into  our  hearts,  and  would  fain  make 


SERMONS  ON  THE  PASSION  OF  CHRIST.  9 

them  as  cold  as  ice.  Where  God's  Word  is  not  re- 
peatedly proclaimed  in  sermons,  in  hymns,  in  private 
conversation,  so  that  we  may  not  forget  it  or 
become  callous  towards  it,  there  it  is  impossible  for 
our  hearts,  which  are  burdened  with  man}'  an  earth- 
ly pain  and  sorrow,  with  wicked  purposes  and  the 
devil's  malicious  instigations,  not  to  fail  and  to  fall 
from  Christ.  Thus  it  is  an  urgent  necessity  that 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  continue  among  us, 
that  we  may  hear  and  retain  it,  otherwise  we  would 
soon  forget  our  Lord. 

Xor  should  we  overlook  the  wants  of  our  young 
people,  who  need  instruction  so  much;  and  many 
mechanics,  laborers,  and  servants,  who  are  Chris- 
tians by  baptism,  cannot  even  read.  Much  zeal  and 
energy  is  needed,  that  these  people  may  be  taught 
that  which  they  know  not,  but  which  is  so  im- 
portant to  their  welfare.  God  cannot  be  satisfied 
with  us,  if  we  disregard  the  precious  treasure  which 
He  has  given  us  ;  if  we,  perhaps,  hear  the  preaching 
of  the  Word  and  gape  at  it  without  learning  any- 
thing. ]N"or  will  the  devil  desist  from  his  attempts 
to  cause  us  to  do  what  is  evil.  If  we  will  not  hear, 
nor  learn,  nor  remember  the  word  of  truth,  we  will 
be  condemned  to  listen  to  and  heed  the  falsehoods 
of  the  devil,  unto  our  souls'  eternal  damnation. 
The  Papists,  the  Turks,  the  Jews,  and  Anabaptists 
are  examples  of  this.  Let  us,  therefore,  never  grow 
weary  of  the  proper  worship  of  God;  let  us  readily 
hear  and  heed  the  sermons  preached  on  the  passion 
of  Christ. 


10  introductory  meditations. 

The  Benefits  accruing  from  the  Passion  of  Christ. 

Of  these  St.  Paul  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Komans, 
o  chap.,  thus  writes :  "But  God  commendeth  His 
love  toward  us,  in  that,  while  we  were  yet  sinners, 
Christ  died  for  us.  Much  more  then,  being  now 
justified  by  His  blood,  we  shall  be  saved  from  wrath 
through  Him.  For  if,  when  we  were  enemies,  we 
were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  His  Son, 
much  more,  being  reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved  by 
His  life.  And  not  only  so,  but  we  also  joy  in  God 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  we  have 
now  received  the  atonement." 

To  preach  the  passion  of  Christ  our  Lord  properly, 
it  is  not  sufficient  to  read  the  narrative  to  the  people, 
but  we  must  add  admonition  and  instruction,that  they 
may  realize  and  remember  why  Christ  suffered  thus, 
and  in  what  way  they  are  benefited  by  His  passion. 
The  method  pursued  by  the  Papists,  especially  by 
the  monks,  in  presenting  this  truth,  and  which  was 
only  calculated  to  arouse  the  emotions  of  the  people 
and  to  fill  them  with  pit}7  and  lamentation,  must  be 
rejected  as  utterly  useless.  He  who  could  stir  up 
the  emotions  of  people  best  was  considered  the  most 
effective  passion-preacher.  Hence  we  find  in  those 
sermons  principally  railing  against  the  Jews,  de- 
scriptions of  the  lamentation  of  the  Virgin  Mary 
when  she  saw  the  death  of  her  Son,  and  the  like. 
All  this,  however,  is  nothing  but  hypocrisy,  as  real- 
ly all  worship  in  the  papacy  is ;  the  true  spirit  of 
devotion  is  wanting,  and  there  are  no  fruits  of 
amendment  there.  If  we  attentively  consider  the 
preaching  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  we  shall 
find  a  totally  different  method  of  preaching  on  the 


SERMONS  ON  THE  PASSION  OF  CHRIST.  11 

passion  of  our  Lord.  They  did  not  waste  words  on 
the  simple  story  of  the  event,  but  presented  it 
unadorned,  pointedly  and  briefly.  But  of  the 
meaning  of  this  passion,  and  how  it  is  effective  for 
us  if  properly  applied, — of  this  they  spake  repeated- 
ly and  much. 

It  was  indeed  a  short  sermon,  if  merely  the  words 
are  counted,  when  John  spake  of  Christ :  "Behold 
the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world  ;"  but  if  we  carefully  meditate  upon  these 
words,  we  will  discover  how  much  they  contain  for 
our  edification  and  comfort,  if  we  but  receive  them 
in  true  faith. 

John  calls  the  Lord  a  "Lamb,"  because  He  was 
to  be  slain,  even  as  a  victim  is  slain.  All  the  sacri- 
fices of  heifers,  oxen,  calves  and  lambs,  which  took 
place  under  the  Old  Testament,  were  but  types  of 
that  perfect  and  only  efficient  sacrifice,  which  Christ 
our  Saviour  offered  to  redeem  the  whole  world 
through  His  own  blood.  To  this  the  Evangelist  re- 
fers in  the  above  words,  in  which  he  dwells  but 
incidentally  upon  the  narrative  of  the  passion  itself. 
He  calls  Christ  not  merely  a  lamb,  but  "the  Lamb 
of  God,"  to  express  thereby  the  truth  that  God 
Himself  had  instituted  this  sacrifice,  and  would  be 
well  pleased  with  it.  This  expression,  "Lamb  of 
God,"  is  farther  intended  to  arouse  our  faith  to  accept 
such  a  sacrifice,  which  God  in  His  infinite  mercy  and 
love  has  made  for  our  salvation.  Yea,  by  it  we  are 
to  be  convinced  that  because  God  Himself  ordained 
this  sacrifice,  it  is  really  perfect  and  all-sufficient  to 
accomplish  what  these  words  say,  namely,  to  take 
away  the  sin  of  the  world.  In  this  expression, 
"sin  of  the  world,"  is  included  all  impiety  and  in- 


1  2  INTRODUCTORY  MEDITATIONS. 

justice  which  prevail  in  the  world,  and  which  cause 
the  dreadful,  but  just  wrath  of  God.  Now  all  this 
wrong  God  has  in  mercy  taken  from  the  world,  and 
has  imposed  it  upon  His  Son,  who  paid  our  debt  for 
us,  that  we  might  be  exempt  from  fear  and  punish- 
ment. 

We  learn  from  this  example  how  to  preach 
rightly  on  the  passion  of  Christ.  We  should  not 
dwell  chiefly  upon  the  historical  incidents  counected 
with  it,  such  as  the  betrayal,  the  scourging,  the 
mockery,  and  the  crucifixion  of  Christ;  all  this  we 
ought  to  know  and  to  preach  ;  but  this  is  not  the 
most  important  lesson  of  the  passion  of  Christ. 
Abore  all  we  must  know  and  believe,  as  John 
preaches,  that  Christ  suffered  on  account  of  our  sins, 
which  God  cast  upon  Him,  and  which  He  bore  in 
obedience  to  His  Father's  will  and  from  love 
toward  us.  If  we  know  this  ;  if  we  understand  our 
sinful  condition,  which  would  have  plunged  us 
without  escape  into  eternal  damnation,  had  not 
Christ  become  our  Saviour,  we  will  duly  appreciate 
the  importance  and  value  of  the  suffering  of  our 
Lord,  and  will  be  comforted  thereby  when  fear  of 
God's  wrath,  on  account  of  our  sins,  would  over- 
come us.  Such  a  consideration  of  the  passion  of 
Christ  will  not  only  move  our  eyes  to  tears  and  our 
hearts  to  pity,  as  is  the  tendency  of  the  popish  ser- 
mons on  this  subject,  but  will  prompt  us  to  feelr 
deep  down  in  our  soul,  sorrow  at  the  terrible  results 
of  sin,  for  which  no  creature,  but  only  the  Son  of 
God  could  make  atonement  by  His  sufferings  and 
death;  and  likewise  it  will  cause  us  great  joy, 
because  we  will  realize  that  this  sacrifice  was  made 
for  us,  that  God  will  now  no  longer  reject  nor  con- 
3 


SERMONS  ON  THE  PASSION  OF  CHRIST.  13 

demn  us,  as  we  have  merited  by  our  sins,  but  that 
He  is  now  reconciled  to  us  through  the  precious  and 
vicarious  death  of  His  Son,  who  gave  Himself  as  a 
victim  in  our  behalf,  so  that  our  sins  are  now  for- 
given and  we  are  made  heirs  of  eternal  life. 

The  Papists  never  preached  thus  of  the  passion  of 
Christ  They  also  used  the  words  "Lamb  of  God" 
as  applied  to  Christ  who  took  away  the  sin  of  the 
world,  but  their  whole  worship  was  arranged  as  if 
each  individual  had  to  bear  his  own  sin  and  must 
make  atonement  for  it  himself.  How  else  can  Ave 
understand  the  stringent  regulation  in  the  Bomish 
Church,  especially  in  this  season  of  the  year,  in  re- 
gard to  fastings,  penances,  self-inflicted  tortures  and 
other  severe  and  burdensome  works?  Why  were 
people  so  much  in  terror  in  regard  to  the  minute, 
outward  confession  of  their  sins  ?  Why  did  they 
bury  themselves  day  and  night  in  the  churches  and 
chapels,  engaging  in  song  and  prayers  ?  Was  it  not 
because  they  supposed  that  by  such  doings  and  ob- 
servances they  could  and  must  work  out  forgiveness 
of  their  sins  ?  Such  doings  mean  in  reality  that  we 
cannot  rely,  fully  and  solely,  upon  the  sacrifice  of 
Christ  as  all-sufficient  and  effective,  and  that  we 
must  with  our  own  work  complete  the  sacrifice  and 
the  atonement. 

This  contradicts  directly  the  statement  of  John 
the  Baptist,  yea  of  Christ  Himself,  when  in  John 
12.  He  thus  speaks  of  His  sufferings  :  "The  hour  is 
come  that  the  Son  of  man  should  be  glorified. 
Verily,  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  except  a  corn  of 
wheat  fail  into  the  ground  and  die,  it  abideth  alone : 
but  if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth  much  fruit."  In  these 
words  Christ  declares  that  His  sufferings  shall  abound 


14  INTRODUCTORY  MEDITATIONS. 

in  much  fruit.  It  would  be  erroneous  to  claim  that 
flie  Christian  must  first  of  all  bring  forth  good 
works,  even  as  the  branch  and  the  vine  bringeth 
forth  grapes;  this  would  indeed  be  one  of  the  fruits 
of  union  with  Christ  through  faith,  but  the  most 
important  fruit  is  indicated  in  the  words  of  the 
Lord  Himself  when  He  says:  "And  I,  if  I  be  lifted 
up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me ;"  that 
is,  through  me,  through  my  sacrifice,  through  my 
death  upon  the  cross,  men  must  come  to  the  Father 
and  receive  eternal  life.  They  who  rely  on  their 
own  works,  and  desire  by  means  of  them  to  enter 
heaven,  pervert  the  plan  of  salvation ;  they  draw 
Christ  down  to  them,  whereas  the  reverse  should 
take  place.  Christ  must  draw  us  to  Him,  or  every- 
thing is  lost.  He  alone  has  vanquished  the  devil, 
paid  the  penalty  of  our  sins,  rescued  us  from  the 
world  and  death,  and  brought  us  to  life  through  His 
sufferings  and  death.  To  all  this  we  contributed 
nothing. 

Again,  John  3.  chapter,  Christ  preaches  of  His 
passion  in  this  wise:  "And  as  Moses  lifted  up  the 
serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of 
man  be  lifted  up :  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life."  This  is 
sufficiently  plain.  Whosoever  desires  to  have  eter- 
nal life,  must  obtain  it  through  faith  in  Christ  and 
His  death  upon  the  cross,  wherewith  He  made  pay- 
ment for  our  sins  and  redeemed  us  from  death  and 
hell.  In  the  words  just  cited,  Christ  mentions  no 
work  of  man  as  efficient  unto  justification;  He  says 
nothing  of  alms,  fastings  and  the  like.  The  re- 
quirement of  deeds  came  already  through  Moses, 
and  in  the  ten  commandments  God  laid  down  the 


SERMONS  ON  TUE  PASSION  OF  CHRIST.  15 

rules  of  conduct  to  be  observed  by  us,  aud  whoso- 
ever disregards  them  may  expect  the  wrath  of  God 
and  His  punishments.  He,  however,  who  keeps 
the  law,  and  fulfills  its  demands  as  much  as  he  can, 
does  not  on  that  account  get  to  heaven.  There  was 
no  other  remedy  for  the  Jews  in  the  wilderness, 
when  bitten  by  the  fiery  serpents,  but  to  look  up  to 
the  brazen  serpent  which  God  had  ordered  to  be 
made.  In  like  manner,  as  Christ  indicates  in  this 
passage,  there  is  no  other  way  unto  salvation  but 
faithfully  to  look  unto  Him  who  sacrificed  Himself, 
according  to  the  will  of  God,  for  our  sins,  and 
through  whom  we  now  have  pardon  and  eternal 
life.  Such  a  glorious  result  has  the  death  of  Christ ; 
our  works  do  not  accomplish  it,  as  the  Papists 
falsely  teach ;  the}7  have  nothing  to  do  with  it. 

The  prophets  also  frequently  speak  similar  words. 
Thus  Isaiah,  53.  chapter,  says:  "Surely  he  hath 
borne  our  griefs,  and  carried  our  sorrows  :  yet  we 
did  esteem  Him  stricken,  smitten  of  God  and 
afflicted.  But  He  was  wounded  for  our  transgres- 
sions, He  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities :  the  chas- 
tisement of  our  peace  was  upon  Him  ;  and  with  His 
stripes  we  are  healed."  Surely,  this  is  a  most 
charming  and  comfortable  passion-sermon,  yea  no 
apostle  in  the  New  Testament  could  preach  one  to 
surpass  it.  The  prophet  declares  that  Christ  shall 
be  stricken,  smitten  and  afflicted  in  our  behalf,  and 
also  that  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  shall  be 
upon  Him,  and  that  with  His  stripes  we  are  to  be 
healed.  Isaiah  calls  the  Lord  a  physician,  and 
directs  us  to  Him  to  be  healed  in  our  distress  and 
sickness,  so  that  we  may  obtain  health  and  happi- 
ness.    The  Lord  has  a  remedy  for  us  which  is  not 


1(>  INTRODUCTORY  MEDITATIONS. 

labeled  good  works,  giving  of  alms,  fastings  and 
rosaries,  but  consists  of  the  fact  that  He  suffered 
and  died  for  us,  yea,  that  He  bore  our  griefs  and 
carried  our  sorrows.  If  therefore  the  history  of  the 
passion  tells  us  how  our  blessed  Lord  and  Saviour 
was  tortured  by  the  Jews  and  the  Gentiles,  we 
ought  to  be  mindful  that  all  this  happened  that  we, 
even  we,  might  have  a  cure,  not  from  bodily  in- 
firmities, but  from  a  sickness  more  dreadful  than 
all  the  rest,  namely,  from  sin  and  eternal  death. 
Thus  the  history  of  the  passion  will  be  applied  by 
us  properly  and  happily.  It  must,  however,  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  passion  of  Christ  is  in  two 
ways  a  precious  and  sure  remedy.  It  exhibits,  in 
the  first  place,  sin  in  all  its  ugliness  and  terror;  no 
human  being,  not  an  angel,  nor  any  other  created 
being,  had  the  power  to  take  away  sin ;  the  Son  of 
God  alone  could  do  it,  and  He  did  carry  this  crush- 
ing weight  for  us.  We  should  therefore  carefully 
and  earnestly  endeavor  to  avoid  sin,  in  the  fear  of 
God,  for  it  is  so  very  easy  to  fall  into  it,  and  so 
very  difficult  to  get  out  of  it  again.  In  this  endeav- 
or we  will  be  mightily  assisted  by  the  consideration 
of  the  passion  of  Christ,  which  will  prompt  us,  as  a 
precious  power  against  sin,  to  be  pious  and  to  shun 
evil,  since  it  is  such  a  terrible  and  dreadful  burden, 
which  no  created  being  can  remove,  and  which  the 
Son  of  God  had  to  carry  for  us.  In  the  second 
place,  we  find  in  the  passion  of  Christ  a  rescue  from 
death ;  for  he  who  fully  believes  that  the  Son  of 
God  died  for  his  sins  and  paid  his  debt  before  God, 
can  have  a  peaceful  heart  and  need  not  fear  death, 
but  will  trust  in  the  mercy  of  God  and  hope  for 
eternal  salvation.     Of  this  consolation  the  prophet 


SERMONS  ON  THE  PASSION  OF  CHRIST.  17 

prisoners  out  of  the  pit  wherein  is  no  water.  Turn 
you  to -the  stronghold  ye  prisoners  of  hope,"  &c. 
The  pit,  the  prison-house  of  men,  is  sin  and  its 
punishments,  namely,  the  tyranny  of  the  devil  and 
eternal  death.  From  this  pit  we  could  not  rescue 
ourselves  unless  by  the  help  of  God  ;  not  through 
the  blood  of  heifers  and  similar  victims,  but  only 
through  the  blood  of  the  just  One,  the  King  of 
Salvation.  He  who  is  not  in  the  covenant  of  this 
blood  must  remain  in  the  pit  of  sin  and  eternal 
death,  while  he  who  is  enrolled  in  it  through  faith 
shall  surely  come  out  from  this  pit  of  wrath  to  the 
enjoyment  of  the  mercy  of  God  and  unto  eternal 
life. 

Daniel  also  preaches  of  this,  in  the  9.  chapter: 
'^Seventy  w^eeks  are  determined  upon  Thy  people 
and  upon  Thy  holy  city,  to  finish  the  transgression, 
and  to  make  an  end  of  sin,  and  to  make  reconcilia- 
tion for  iniquity,  and  to  bring  in  everlasting  right- 
eousness," &c.  How  this  should  be  fulfilled  in  the 
death  of  Christ,  the  prophet  soon  after  indicates. 
This  is  another  clear  and  definite  declaration  of  the 
truth,  that  forgiveness  of  sins  and  justification  can 
be  obtained  only  through  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ; 
through  it,  if  we  accept  it  in  faith,  we  have  this 
precious  treasure,  and  in  no  other  way  can  we  ob- 
tain it.  Thus  we  can  learn  from  John  the  Baptist, 
from  Christ  Himself,  and  from  the  prophets,  how 
to  preach  of  the  passion  of  our  Lord,  namely,  to 
instruct  the  hearts  as  to  the  mercy  and  grace  of 
God,  that  they  may  be  comforted  thereby.  Christ 
suffered  for  the  payment  of  our  sins,  to  reconcile  us 
to  God,  and  to  save  us  through  faith  in  Him  as  our 
Lord  and  Saviour. 


18  INTRODUCTORY  MEDITATIONS. 

The  holy  Apostles  preached  the  same  truth  con- 
cerning the  passion  of  Christ,  as  we  can  easily  read 
iu  their  narratives  and  writings.  Of  the  many  pas- 
sages bearing  upon  this  point  we  will  now,  in  con- 
clusion, notice  but  the  one  taken  from  Romans  5. 
chapter,  as  you,  my  beloved,  have  heard  it  in  the 
beginning  of  this  discourse.  This  passage  is  suffi- 
ciently plain,  so  that  all  can  understand  it.  Never- 
theless we  will  now  dwell  upon  it  somewhat,  to  our 
instruction,  edification  and  comfort. 

We  all  experience  how  deeply  unbelief  is  rooted 
in  our  hearts,  so  that  we  are  ever  troubled  by  our 
sins,  and  lack  all  assurance  and  peace.  We  are  so 
ready  to  exclaim  :  Ah,  if  we  were  only  more  pious, 
it  would  be  better  for  us,  and  we  could  then  hope- 
for  the  mercy  of  God.  Where  the  heart  thus  wavers, 
there  is  surely  trepidation  and  uneasiness.  But  it 
we  firmly  believe,  and  rely  on  the  mercy  of  God, 
which  He  has  promised  in  Christ,  our  hearts  will 
be  securely  stayed  in  all  adversities  upon  this  con- 
solation, and  will  indeed  be  happy  and  of  good 
cheer. 

People,  however,  are  perverse  in  this.  The  Pope 
has  therefore  established  all  manner  of  worship,  by 
means  of  which,  as  he  pretends,  confidence  in  God 
and  reliance  on  His  help  can  be  gained.  Some  of 
these  inventions  are  worship  of  the  saints,  pilgrim- 
ages, the  purchase  of  indulgences,  the  mass,  vigils,, 
monastic  life,  and  other  similar  delusions.  Such 
observances  are  regarded  as  guarantees  of  a  renewed 
life  and  of  heaven.  This  is  indeed  a  deep-rooted 
delusion,  and  an  earnest  preacher  of  the  truth  will 
direct  his  efforts  chiefly  against  it,  to  tear  from  the 


SERMONS  ON  THE  PASSION  OF  CHRIST.  1<) 

hearts  of  the  people,  by  the  grace  of  God,  this 
wicked  unbelief  and  to  instill  into  them  true  confi- 
dence and  faith.  How  to  do  this  properly,  and  with 
success,  St.  Paul  teaches  us  in  the  passage  under 
consideration;  and,  surely,  his  testimony  is  of  great 
weight,  as  of  one  who  was  a  great  preacher,  chosen 
and  called  of  God  Himself  as  a  giant  in  the  work  of 
spreading  the  Gospel.  We  ought,  therefore,  attent- 
ively to  heed  his  words. 

He  begins  with  the  remark  :  "God  commendeth 
his  love  toward  us,"  which  is  indeed  a  peculiar  and 
astonishing  saying,  bat  nevertheless,  as  we  shall 
presently  hear,  a  remarkable,  precious  truth.  God, 
it  is  true,  is  the  declared  enemy  of  sin,  and  will 
punish  it,  as  the  law  demands  and  as  our  daily  ex- 
perience proves.  Again,  it  is  true  that  we  are  all 
sinners,  and  this  knowledge  causes  our  unbelief  of 
the  mercy  and  love  of  God.  When  told,  as  in  the 
passage  before  us,  that  God  loves  man,  we  think 
immediately  of  John  the  Baptist,  of  Peter,  of  Paul 
and  others,  who  were  so  much  more  pious  than  we, 
and  are  ready  to  admit  that  God  may  love  such  as 
these,  but  we  deny  that  we  are  such  people  as  He 
can  love,  and  therefore  continue  in  fear  of  His 
wrath.  Against  this  misconception  the  Apostle 
directs  his  words  when  he  says  that  God  doth  not 
only  love  us,  but.  that  He  even  commendeth  His 
love  toward  us ;  that  is,  God  makes  it  so  manifest, 
so  sure  and  evident  that  He  loves  us,  that  no  man 
can  doubt  it.  What  else  but  love  could  prompt 
Him  to  send  His  only  begotten  Son,  Jesus  Christ, 
into  this  world,  to  die  for  us  while  we  were  yet 
sinners?     When  therefore  sin  and  doubt  torment 


20  INTRODUCTORY  MEDITATIONS. 

us,  and  would  rob  us  of  confidence  in  God's  mercy 
and  pardon,  let  us  firmly  hold  to  the  eternal  truth 
of  this  word  :  "While  we  were  yet  sinners  Christ 
died  for  us."  Who  is  Christ?  He  is  the  Son  of 
God.  What  does  He  do?  He  becomes  man  aod 
dies.  Why  does  He  die?  On  account  of  sinners. 
From  this  it  clearly  follows  that  God  has  not  re- 
jected sinners,  and  that  He  desires  not  their  destruc- 
tion, but  that  He  loves  them  still,  even  so  much 
that  He  rescues  them  from  sin  and  death.  For 
their  sake  His  dear  Son  goes  into  death  by  the  will 
of  the  Father.  What  better  proof  of  His  love  could 
He  have  given  ?  Surely,  St.  Paul  has  good  author- 
ity for  exclaiming :  "God  commendeth  His  love 
toward  us;"  and  it  behooves  us  to  confess  the  pre- 
cious, inexhaustible  grace  of  God  in  Christ,  and  to 
believe  that  He  is  no  longer  wroth  with  us.  Indeed, 
it  would  be  utter  madness  to  say  that  God  will  cast 
us  away  in  anger,  when  it  is  evident  that  He  gave 
His  only  begotten  Son  as  a  sacrifice  for  us  wicked 
and  forlorn  men,  that  we  might  be  redeemed,  and 
have  salvation  evermore. 

These  words  of  St.  Paul  agree  fully  with  the  say- 
ing of  Christ,  John  3:  "For  God  so  loved  the 
world,  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  belie veth  in  Him  should  not  perish,  but 
have  everlasting  life."  How  can  one,  who  knows 
and  believes  that  God  loves  him,  be  afraid  of  Him  ? 
For  we  all  know  what  the  character  of  love  is.  It 
is  not  contentious  nor  injurious,  but  trusts  in  Him, 
to  whom  it  is  directed,  convinced  that  He  will  bring 
help  and  assistance.  It  is  impossible  to  be  other- 
wise.    We  should  therefore  cultivate  this  love,  and 


SERMONS  ON  THE  PASSION  OF  CHRIST.  21 

fondly  cherish  it,  nor  permit  any  one  or  any  thing 
to  rob  us  of  it.  It  is  the  devil's  especial  aim  to 
persuade  or  force  us  from  this  conviction  that  God 
loves  us ;  he  would  fain  have  us  tear  God  and  regard 
Him  as  our  deadly  enemy.  Where  he  succeeds  in 
this  attempt  he  has  won  the  field.  If  we  have  lost 
our  confidence  in  God,  what  then  can  defend  or 
support  us  ?  Let  us  therefore  resolutely  repel  all 
such  insinuations  of  the  devil,  of  sin  and  our  con- 
science, as  if  God  did  not  love  us,  but  let  us  firmly 
hold  to  the  eternal  truth  and  consolation  that,  as  an 
assurance  of  His  love,  God  sent  His  Son  into  this 
world  to  die  for  us  sinners — to  save  us  even  while 
we  were  yet  sinners.  What  else  is  this  but  a  proof 
that  God  has  thoughts  of  mere}7  toward"  sinners, 
that  He  loves  them  and  would  help  them  from  their 
misery?  This  consolation  we  derive,  as  St.  Paul 
here  tells  us,  from  the  death  and  passion  of  Christ, 
and  we  should  be  comforted  thereby.  When  the 
knowledge  of  our  sins  depresses  us,  when  our  heart 
would  question  the  mercy  and  favor  of  God,  we 
should  be  quick  to  conclude  that  He  cannot  be  our 
enemy,  since  He  gave  us  His  only  begotten  Son  as 
a  Saviour.  Hence  we  dare  assuredly  depend  upon 
His  mercy  and  help,  and  have  no  cause  of  fear  or 
despair. 

But  perhaps  you  will  say  :  we  know  well  enough 
that  God  gave  His  Son  into  death  in  our  behalf, 
yet  we,  on  our  part,  have  by  many  transgressions 
and  sins  proved  ourselves  totally  unworthy  of  this 
His  grace  and  mercy ;  from  which  it  follows  that 
God  has  again  become  our  enemy  on  account  of  our 
crimes,  though  He  may  formerly  have  loved  us  for 


22  INTRODUCTORY  MEDITATIONS. 

His  Son's  sake.  St.  Paul  tells  us  that  such  reason- 
ing is  false,  and  that  we  should  by  no  means  give 
way  to  it,  for  he  distinctly  declares :  "Christ  died 
for  us  while  we  were  yet  sinners."  Remember  this, 
and  be  comforted  by  it.  These  words  give  us  the 
explicit  assurance,  when  our  sins  accuse  us  and 
threaten  us  with  God's  wrath  and  dire  punishment, 
that  Christ  died  for  no  other  purpose  than  to 
save  sinners,  and  for  no  other  persons.  If,  therefore, 
we  commit  new  sins,  if  our  conscience  accuses  us, 
and  if  we  have  merited  anew  the  vengeance  of  God, 
we  ought  ever  to  remember  that  Christ  died  for  us 
as  sinners, — for  just  such  sinners  as  we  are,  and  shall 
remain,  though  we  may  constantly  exercise  peni- 
tence and  faith  and  new  obedience  with  a  good 
conscience.  Yea,  though  we  be  ever  so  saintly,  we 
will  always  need  this  consolation,  that  Christ  died 
for  us  sinners,  as  St.  Paul  says :  "Though  I  know 
of  no  sin,  lam  therefore  not  justified;"  and  the 
Psalmist,  Psalm  143:  "Enter  not  into  judgment 
with  Thy  servant:  for  in  Thy  sight  shall  no  man 
living  be  justified."  It  therefore  remains  a  fixed 
fact,  eternally  unalterable,  that  the  passion  and 
death  of  Christ  took  place  for  our  sin,  no  matter 
when  committed,  and  while  we  were  yet  sinners, 
and  that  therefore  we  are  freed  from  the  eterr.al 
wrath  of  God,  that  we  have  forgiveness,  that  the 
atonement  is  made  once  for  all,  and  that  we  can 
now  obtain  eternal  life. 

St.  Paul  continues :  If  God  so  loved  us  that  He 
justified  us  through  His  blood,  and  if  we  earnestly 
believe  that  our  sins  are  forgiven  for  His  sake  and 
that  we  are  now  pleasing  in  His  sight,  we  ought  to 


SERMONS  ON  THE  PASSION  OE  CHRIST.  23 

take  comfort  and  rest  assured  that  God  will  con- 
tinue to  be  merciful  unto  us,  and  will  save  us  in  the 
€nd  in  heaven.  He  not  only  sacrificed  Himself  for 
us,  but  His  life  and  victory  are  ours  also. 

The  Apostle,  when  he  spake  these  words,  had  in 
mind  this  severe  tribulation,  even  of  the  pious,  when 
they  anxiously  fear  the  wrath  of  God.  He  would 
fain  give  comfort  by  the  assurance  that  God  has 
averted  His  anger,  aud  has  employed  mercy  and 
grace  toward  us,  even  while  we  were  yet  sinners. 
If  He  did  this  then,  how  much  less  will  He  be 
wroth  with  us  now  after  the  redemption  from  sins 
by  the  death  of  His  Son  !  This  is  surely  a  most 
effective  sermon,  preached  against  the  unbelief 
which  is  so  prone  to  nestle  in  our  hearts.  But  Paul 
is  not  content  with  this  assurance;  he  speaks  of  a 
still  greater  and  more  precious  consolation  to  be 
derived  from  the  death  of  Christ.  He  says :  "For 
if,  when  we  were  enemies,  we  were  reconciled  to 
God  by  the  death  of  His  Son,  much  more,  being 
reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved  by  His  life."  Would 
to  God  that  we  might  have  this  comfortable  assur- 
ance firmly  rooted  in  our  hearts.  It  is  indeed  an 
inexpressible  deed  of  mercy  that  Christ  died  for 
sinners;  for  by  His  death  we  are  redeemed.  If 
now  His  death  benefits  us  so  much,  should  we  not 
also  enjoy  blessings  from  His  life?  If  He  died  in 
our  behalf,  and  if  His  death  is  our  gain,  we  can  un- 
hesitatingly rely  upon  it  that  His  life  now  will  also 
be  of  benefit  unto  us  :  He  will  keep  us  by  His  grace, 
and  will  defend  us  from  the  devil  and  the  world,  so 
that  our  faith  may  increase  from  day  to  day.  Ac- 
cordingly we  see,  to  our  edification  and  consolation, 


24  INTRODUCTORY  MEDITATIONS. 

the  Apostles  directing  our  attention  repeatedly  to 
the  joyous  resurrection  of  our  Lord  Jesus.  He  who 
thus  liveth  after  He  died  for  us,  will  surely  attend 
to  our  wants  now,  and  will  protect  us  in  the  true 
faith  against  all  temptation.  The  Apostle  would 
therefore  encourage  us  in  these  words  against  all 
doubts  and  weakness  of  faith ;  he  would  tell  us  to- 
put  aside  all  terror  of  the  wrath  of  God  and  of  death, 
since  our  Father  in  heaven  has  so  clearly  commended 
His  love  toward  us  in  giving  His  Son  for  us  into 
death  while  we  were  yet  sinners.  If  He  did  not 
spare  this  His  most  precious  gift  while  we  were  yet 
in  sin,  He  will  surely  bestow  all  blessings  upon  us 
now,  since  we  have  been  cleansed  from  sin  by  the 
death  of  Christ. 

Through  Him  and  in  His  life  we  can  have  the 
power  necessary  to  conquer  death  and  hell ;  there- 
fore we  rejoice  and  trust  in  God,  who  loved  us  so 
exceedingly  while  we  were  yet  sinners ;  yea,  we 
know  that  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  His  Son,  He  will 
support  us  in  our  tribulations,  and  grant  unto  us  in 
the  end  eternal  life.  Such  a  faith,  and  such  confi- 
dence, is  the  Christian's  true  worship ;  we  should 
therefore  diligently  seek  it,  pray  for  it,  and  retain 
it  in  our  hearts,  The  Apostle  Paul  now  concludes 
his  exhortation  to  be  of  good  cheer  with  these 
words :  "We  also  joy  in  God  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  we  have  now  received  the 
atonement." 

He  declares  that  we  have  received  the  atonement 
through  Christ.  We,  on  account  of  our  sins,  dared 
not  hope  for  mercy  from  God.  Now  this  is  changed. 
Our  sins  are  removed  by  the  death  of  Christ,  and 


SERMONS  ON  THE  PASSION  OF  CHRIST.  25 

we  know  that  God  no  longer  chicles  with  us ;  He  is 
our  Friend,  yea,  our  beloved  Father.  What  then 
must  be  the  result  of  such  reconciliation?  This,, 
that  we  rejoice  at  such  a  merciful  and  loving  God — 
a  God  who  is  the  source  of  all  love,  whom  we 
should  praise,  and  upon  whom  our  whole  confidence 
in  every  need  and  sorrow  should  be  placed.  If  we 
have  God  for  a  friend  we  need  fear  no  injury; 
nothing  can  then  terrify  or  harm  us.  An  atone- 
ment has  been  made  for  sin ;  God  is  satisfied  with 
us,  and  Christ  our  Mediator  sits  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  Father.  What  matters  it  now  if  death  does 
come  and  lay  low  our  bodies,  since  we  know  that 
through  Christ  we  shall  rise  again  unto  eternal 
life?  Hence  the  Christians  ought  ever  to  rejoice,, 
no  matter  what  their  fortunes  in  life  may  be;, 
though  pain  may  ahTiet  their  bodies,  they  can  be 
glad  in  the  spirit,  and  will  praise  their  Father  in 
heaven,  upon  whose  love  and  mercy  they  dependr 
and  under  whose  protection  they  are  secure.  Such 
a  happy  issue  from  ills  we  have  through  the  atone- 
ment made  by  the  death  of  Christ. 

Hence  we  see  what  a  horrible  crime  it  is  for  the 
Pope  and  his  adherents  to  disregard  this  atonement, 
and  to  direct  the  people  to  do  good  works  and  to 
depend  upon  human  exertions  and  deeds  in  obtain- 
ing mercy  of  God  and  forgiveness  of  sins.  Let  us 
thank  God  from  the  very  bottom  of  our  hearts  that 
we  have  been  set  free  from  this  bondage  of  errorr 
and  that  we  can  learn  from  so  many  testimonies  of 
the  Old  and  of  the  New  Testament  how  to  regard 
and  apply  the  passion  of  Christ,  so  that  we  are  en- 
abled to  sa}7,  whenever  sin  accuses :  If  we  were  no 


26  INTRODUCTORY  MEDITATIONS. 

sinners,  Christ  need  not  have  suffered  for  us,  but 
since  He  did  suffer,  we  will  derive  all  consolation 
from  His  passion.  Thus  will  we  honor  God  and 
give  thanks  unto  Christ  our  Lord.  We  can  make 
no  other  return  but  to  accept  with  heartfelt  grati- 
tude the  precious  gifts  obtained  by  His  passion  and 
death. 

If  we  do  this,  it  must  follow,  as  a  necessary  con- 
sequence, that  we  shun  and  hate  sin,  that  amid 
various  trials,  by  constant  practice,  we  increase 
from  day  to  day  in  faith,  in  love,  in  hope,  and  in 
patience.  May  God  bless  us  in  this  endeavor, 
through  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.     Amen ! 


FIRST  PASSION-SERMON. 

The  Occurrences  at  the  Mount  of  Olives. 

Matth.  26,  36-46  Then  coraeth  Jesus  with  them  unto  a  place  called 
Gethsemane,  and  saith  unto  the  disciples,  Sit  ye  here,  while  I  go  and 
pray  yonder.  And  He  took  with  Him  Peter  and  the  two  sons  ot'Zebe- 
-dee,  and  began  to  be  sorrowful  and  very  heavy.  Then  saith  He  unto 
them,  My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto  death  :  tarry  ye  here, 
■and  watch  with  me.  And  He  went  a  little  further,  and  fell  on  His 
face,  and  prayed,  saying,  0  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup 
pass  from  me:  nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  Thou  wilt.  And 
He  cometh  unto  the  disciples,  and  findeth  them  asleep,  and  saith  unto 
Peter,  What,  could  ye  not  watch  with  me  one  hour?  Watch  and 
pray,  that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation  :  the  spirit  indeed  is  willing, 
but  the  flesh  is  weak.  He  went  away  again  the  second  time,  and 
prayed,  saying,  0  my  Father,  if  this  cup  may  not  pass  away  from  me, 
•except  I  drink  it,  Thy  will  be  done.  And  He  came  and  found  them 
asleep  again-:  l'or  their  eyes  were  heavy.  And  He  left  them,  and  went 
away  again,  and  prayed  the  third  time,  saying  the  same  words. 
Then  cometh  He  to  His  disciples,  and  saith  unto  them,  Sleep  on  now, 
and  take  your  rest :  behold,  the  hour  is  at  hand,  and  the  Son  of  man 
is  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  sinners.  Rise,  let  us  be  going  :  behold, 
he  is  at  hand  that  doth  betray  me. 

,his  is  a  beautiful  narrative,  and  presents  the 
|true  beginning  of  the  sufferings  of  our  Lord 
Jesus.  It  is  profitable  both  for  doctrine,  showing 
how  our  Lord  conducted  Himself  in  His  sufferings, 
and  for  consolation  in  the  anguish  of  sin  and  an 
-evil  conscience. 

The  scholastics  disputed  much  and  diffusely  about 
the  events  here  narrated.  It  is,  indeed,  no  trifling 
matter  that  such  great  fear,  trembling  and  anguish 
should  take  possession  of  this  person,  who  is,  at 
the  same  time,  eternal  God  and  true  man.  But  let 
men  dispute  about  this  as  much  as  they  will,  and 
let  them  be  ever  so  penetrating  and  subtile,  it  can 


28  FIRST   PASSION-SERMON. 

never  be  fathomed  !  Yea,  it  is  impossible  to  com- 
prehend such  grief  and  terror ;  they  are  beyond  the 
reach  of  our  minds,  and  this  simply  because  the 
person  who  sustains  them  is  exalted  far  above  all 
things.  We  must,  therefore,  be  content  with  un- 
derstanding those  inferior  instances  of  sorrow  or 
fear  which  we  actually  see.  Such  instances  we 
have  in  the  case  of  those  poor  wretches  who  are 
condemned  to  death  for  their  crimes.  Before  these 
can  become  reconciled  to  their  fate,  they  writhe  in 
death's  agony  and  struggle  with  death  ;  and,  some- 
times, they  cannot  endure  such  anguish,  and  are 
even  overwhelmed  with  fear,  so  that  they  can 
neither  hear  nor  see,  and  do  not  understand  what  is 
spoken  to  them  nor  what  they  tell  others,  but  are 
unconscious  and  even  grow  stiff,  like  one  who 
knows  neither  where  he  is  nor  what  ails  him. 

But  here  we  must  rather  consider  those  whose 
^rief  and  anguish  are  so  intense,  that  they  fear  and 
tremble  on  their  account;  whose  hearts  are  so 
pierced  with  wretchedness  and  terror  that  they 
would  rather  die  than  suffer  them.  Such  excruci- 
ating pain  is  experienced  by  those  hearts  which 
wrestle  with  the  fear  of  God's  wrath  or  the  violent 
onslaughts  of  despair.  We  may  be  assured  that 
such  great  grief  and  terror  assaulted  our  Lord  on 
this  occasion,  so  that  He  stood  trembling  and  quak- 
ing before  His  disciples,  who  were  affrighted  and 
could  not  conceive  what  had  befallen  Him.  This 
is  beautifully  indicated  by  Luke  where  he  says  that 
when  the  Lord  "was  come  to  His  disciples,  He 
found  them  sleeping  for  sorrow ;"  and  here  by  the 
Lord  Himself  in  the  words  :  "My  soul  is  exceeding 

sorrowful,  even  unto  death,"  that  is,  I  am  so  full  of 
3* 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  21  > 

anguish,  that  I  could  die  of  agony.  Our  thoughts 
cannot  go  beyond  this ;  for  we  know  of  no  anguish 
that  transcends  such  anguish  unto  death.  But  even 
the  pangs  of  death  cannot  properly  be  compared 
with  the  agonv  of  the  Lord  Jesus;  for  His  was  of 
such  exceeding  violence  that  no  human  heart  could 
have  borne  it.  And  for  this  very  reason  it  declares 
Christ  to  have  been  true  man,  else  it  could  not  have 
affected  Him,  and  true  God,  else  He  could  not  have 
borne  and  conquered  it.  Our  flesh  and  blood  can 
not  endure  and  conquer  thus;  human  nature,  yea, 
even  the  nature  of  angels,  is  by  far  too  feeble  to 
hold  out  in  such  distress.  For  it  was  not  the  only 
sorrow  of  the  Lord  Jesus  that  the  hour  was  now  at 
hand,  in  which  He  should  be  betrayed  by  Judas, 
taken  captive  by  the  Jews,  nailed  to  the  cross  by 
the  Gentiles,  and  suffer  death ;  but  that  the  sins  of 
the  whole  world  were  upon  Him,  and  that  the 
death  He  was  about  to  suffer  was  a  death  incurred 
by  .sin  and  the  wrath  of  God.  Since  He  became  a 
substitute  for  us  all,  and  took  upon  Himself  oui 
sins,  that  He  might  bear  God's  terrible  wrath 
against  sin  and  expiate  our  guilt,  He  necessarily 
felt  the  sin  of  the  whole  world,  together  with  the 
entire  wrath  of  God,  and  afterwards  the  agony  of 
death  on  account  of  this  sin.  This  is  the  point 
which  makes  it  evident  that  we  can  neither  ade- 
quately speak  of  such  sufferings  and  anguish, 
nor  even  meditate  upon  them.  While  each  of  us 
has  merely  his  own  sins  upon  him,  Christ  alone 
bears  the  sins  of  all  the  world  and  must  atone  for 
them  with  His  death.  How  very  insignificant, 
therefore,  the  agony  of  all  other  men !  The  sins 
committed  by  the  whole  world,  from  the  first  man, 


30  FIRST  PASSION-SERM0S 

Adam,  to  the  judgment-day,  are  placed  upon  that 
one  man  who  was  born  ot  the  Virgin  Mary,  while 
our  burden  is  so  very  trifling  in  comparison,  and  we 
still  break  down  under  it. 

But  what  is  this  sorrow,  anguish  and  trembling 
of  the  Lord  to  teach  us?  What  benefit  are  we  to 
derive  from  His  fear  and  lamentation,  and  from  His 
public  confession  that  His  heart  is  so  filled  with 
misery  that  He  would  rather  not  live  ?  It  was 
stated  above  that  His  being  terrified  at  death  should, 
teach  us  that  He  is  a  true,  natural  man,  possessing* 
fiesh  and  blood  like  ours,  and  that  He  is  altogether 
of  like  mind  with  us,  but  without  sin.  For  it  is  an 
innate  quality  of  our  human  nature  to  shudder  at 
the  thought  of  death.  But  it  is  impossible  that 
any  other  mortal  should  be  moved  with  fear  as- 
great  as  that  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  because  upon  Him 
rests  the  iniquity  of  all  mankind,  and  because  for 
this  iniquity  He  must  suffer  the  death  which  is 
merited  by  the  sins  of  the  whole  human  family. 
This,  together  with  the  fact  that  He  really  did  bear 
this  excessively  great  burden  without  succumbing* 
or  perishing  under  it,  proves  most  forcibly  that  He 
is  also  God,  and  more  than  a  man. 

Therefore  is  this  death-struggle  a  powerful  weap- 
on which  we  wield  against  the  heretics,  who  teach 
that  Christ  was  not  true  God  and  true  man.  For 
we  are  compelled  to  confess  that  both  natures  of 
Christ  here  show  themselves  mightily;  that,  while 
His  sorrow  and  fear  and  His  wTrestling  with  death 
are  a  potent  declaration  of  His  true,  natural  human- 
ity, His  divine  power  is  proclaimed  by  His  submis- 
sion to  the  will  of  God,  and  by  His  conquering  that 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GlSPELS.  32 

agony  which  would  have  overpowered  all  men  and 
all  creatures. 

But  this  conflict  with  death,  besides  being  useful 
for  doctrine  and  the  strengthening  of  our  faith,  can 
be  profitably  employed  by  us  in  two  other  ways. 
Sin  has  so  blinded  and  corrupted  us  poor  mortals 
that  we  cannot  sufficiently  discern  our  own  imper- 
fections, else  we  would  diligently  guard  against 
transgressions;  for  we  perceive  in  ourselves  and 
others  that  we  regard  sin  as  but  a  trifling  injury, 
yea,  more,  that  we  delight  in  it.  He  who  becomes 
enslaved  to  pernicious  avarice  does  not  hesitate  to- 
take  twelve  or  fourteen  per  cent.,  and  would  think 
himself  very  prosperous  if  he  could  obtain  a  great 
amount  of  such  usury.  Just  so  it  is  with  him  whom 
Satan  makes  a  slave  to  debaucheiy ;  such  a  one 
regards  himself  most  fortunate  when  he  can  satisfy 
his  sensual  desire,  and  the  gratification  of  his  evil 
passions  is  his  only  ambition.  This  is  the  case  too* 
with  other  sins;  we  rejoice  over  our  imagined  suc- 
cess in  committing  them.  All  this  misery  origin- 
ates in  our  not  knowing  what  a  dreadful  calamity 
sin  really  is.  If  we  could  only  comprehend  the 
wrath  of  God  which  is  revealed  against  sin,  and  His 
judgment  which  awaits  it,  we  would  no  longer  de- 
sire and  love  sin,  but  would  fear  it  and  flee  from  it 
as  though  it  were  sudden  death. 

This  picture  of  our  clear  Lord's  agony  at  the 
mount  of  Olives  serves  to  furnish  us  with  such 
knowledge  and  fear.  For  if  we  look  carefully  on 
this  picture  we  shall  behold  an  image  of  sin,  at  sight 
of  which  our  hearts  must  recoil  with  horror.  Only 
look  earnestly  at  the  person  pictured  here  !  He  ia 
the  Son  of  God, — the  everlasting  Righteousness  I 


32  FIRST  PASSION-SERMON. 

And  although  He  assumed  our  flesh  and  blood,  His 
flesh  and  blood  is  altogether  sinless.  Yet,  since  He 
took  upon  Himself  foreign  sin,  namely  that  of  all 
the  world,  in  order  to  atone  for  it,  this  sin  of  others 
so  affected  Him,  filled  Him  with  such  grief  and  an- 
guish, and  so  terrified  Him,  that  He  began  to  trem- 
ble and  quake,  confessing :  "My  soul  is  exceeding 
sorrowful,  even  unto  death." 

Now  if  the  sins  of  others  are  able  to  inflict  such 
.agony  upon  this  pious,  innocent  heart,  what  must 
not  be  the  result  if  our  own  sins  assail  our  naturally 
sinful  and  corrupt  hearts,  which  are  inclined  to 
despair !  God  sometimes  gives  us  instances  of  this 
result,  that  we  may  be  influenced  by  terror;  in- 
stances, in  which  sin  rages  in  the  soul  to  such  a 
degree,  that  the  poor  miserable  wretches  destroy 
their  own  lives  in  order  to  be  quickly  released  from 
such  racking  of  conscience.  This  is  a  certain  sis'ii 
that  such  sufferings  of  conscience  are  more  grievous 
and  intolerable  than  bodily  death,  notwithstanding 
that  the  latter  is  most  violently  opposed  to  our 
nature ;  for  these  wretched  persons  regard  death  as 
the  means  by  which  they  can  rid  themselves  of  such 
sufferings.  But  it  is  a  fatal  means  ;  for  it  is  against 
that  commandment  of  God  which  tells  us,  "thou 
shalt  not  kill."  These  people,  therefore,  only  make 
themselves  more  worthy  of  God's  wrath  and  of 
damnation.  The  proper  means,  by  which  we  can 
with  certainty  get  rid  of  this  anguish,  we  shall  con- 
sider hereafter. 

Therefore,  let  us  study  this  picture  thoroughly, 
and  not  forget  how  our  blessed  Lord  Jesus  mourned 
and  trembled  at  the  mount  of  Olives.  We  should 
remember  this  especially  when  we  are  tempted  by 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  33 

the  devil,  our  own  flesh  and  blood,  01  the  wicked 
world,  and  when  we  perceive  our  great  propensity 
to  sin.  Then  let  lis  reason  thus  :  if  sin  is  so  mighty 
that  it  can  affect  Jesus  Christ,  my  Lord  and  God, 
with  the  greatest  grief,  though  it  be  not  His  own 
sin,  but  entirely  that  of  others ;  how  much  more 
will  it  not  tempt,  grieve,  terrify  and  oppress  me, 
who  am  myself  guilty  of  every  sin  to  which  I  con- 
sented, and  who  can,  at  any  rate,  only  with  the 
greatest  effort  resist  the  fear  of  death  and  of  the 
anger  and  judgment  of  God  !  Therefore,  get  thee 
hence,  Satan,  I  will  not  follow  thee !  Thou  makest 
it  easy  for  me  to  sin,  as  though  sin  were  a  trifling 
matter ;  but  in  my  Lord  Jesus  I  perceive  that  it  is 
the  most  intolerable  burden,  because  it  so  agitated 
His  innocent  heart.  Therefore  this  narrative  is  of 
great  value  to  us  as  an  admonition  to  live  in  the 
fear  of  God  and  to  sin  no  more.  And  most  certain 
is  it,  if  we  bear  this  picture  in  mind,  and,  in  accord- 
ance with  it,  persevere  in  prayer  against  tempta- 
tion, that  God  will  mercifully  assist  us  by  His  Holy 
Spirit,  so  that  Satan  must  flee  and  our  flesh  be  kept 
under  restraint;  while  they  who  do  not  keep  this 
picture  in  view  are  led  and  driven  like  haltered 
cattle  whithersoever  the  devil  will. 

Especially  does  the  prayer  Christ  offered  here 
serve  as  such  an  admonition.  These  were  His 
words :  "0  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup 
pass  from  me."  Now  it  is  evident  that  this  was 
not  possible;  for  it  was  necessary  that  He  should 
offer  up  His  body  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world, 
and  die  upon  the  cross.  But  what  else  is  to  be 
inferred  from  this,  than  that  sin  is  such  a  great  and 
terrible  transgression  that  it  was  impossible  for  any 


34  FIRST  PASSION-SERMON. 

creature  to  afford  the  least  relief  from  its  curse? 
But  if  we  were  to  be  delivered  from  this,  it  was 
necessary  for  the  eternal  Son  of  God  to  become 
man  and  to  suffer  death  upon  the  cross  for  our  sins; 
thus  only  could  we  become  free  from  sin. 

Therefore,  again  from  this  should  we  learn  to 
know  and  judge  sin  correctly.  If  we  desire  to  obey 
our  own  hearts  and  the  devil,  and  to  follow  the 
example  even  of  the  world,  it  will  be  very  easy  for 
us  to  commit  adultery  and  fornication,  and  to  seek 
to  profit  by  covetousness,  by  the  practice  of  usury, 
and  by  extortion.  We  see  this  in  the  case  of  those 
who  fall  into  such  temptations  that  they  can  never 
get  enough  of  sinning.  0,  do  not  serve  your  own 
heart,  Satan  and  the  world ;  let  not  the  smooth  fur 
deceive  you,  for  it  surely  covers  sharp,  poisonous 
claws,  and  should  these  seize  you  it  is  all  over  with 
you,  unless  God  succor  you  in  an  extraordinary 
way !  For  if  sin  could,  in  the  manner  we  have 
related,  assail  and  terrify  Christ,  who  never  was 
guilty  of  a  single  sin,  what  will  become  of  you  and 
me,  whom  sin  has,  at  any  rate,  previously  so  cor- 
rupted that  we  can  not  do  otherwise  than  fear, 
tremble  and  despair  and  fly  from  God,  as  did  Adam 
and  Eve  in  Paradise !  Therefore,  let  us  be  on  our 
guard,  and  not  run  wantonly  into  such  danger. 
Let  us  ask  God  for  His  Holy  Spirit,  that  He  may 
assist  us, — that  we  may  by  His  help  defend  our- 
selves against  sin.  If  we  do  this,  we  shall  be  indeed 
the  better  for  the  scene  at  the  mount  of  Olives. 

Let  us  proceed.  Even  as  this  scene  has  been 
employed  by  us  as  an  admonition  to  fear  God  and 
to  guard  against  sin,  so  does  it  serve,  in  the  second 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  35 

place,  for  our  consolation.  No  man  is  able  so  care- 
fully to  govern  himself  that  his  flesh  and  Satan  will 
not  succeed  sometimes  to  mislead  him  with  their 
clamor,  so  that  he  makes  a  mistake  and  falls  into 
sin.  And  Satan  incessantly  prowls  around  the 
Christian  for  the  special  purpose  of  leading  him 
into  public  offences,  as  we  can  see  in  the  case  of 
illustrious  saints.  How  deeply  David  fell!  And 
Peter  the  same!  Now  if  this  should  happen  to  us 
also,  and  Satan  should  then  come  and  harass  our 
hearts  by  his  representations  of  our  sin,  then  we 
should  again  behold  this  picture  of  the  mount  of 
Olives,  and  turn  our  thoughts  inward  and  say  :  O 
God,  why  is  it  that  Jesus  Christ,  my  Lord,  Thy 
Son,  trembles  so  ?  What  is  it  that  troubles  Him  ? 
He  prays  that  the  cup  might  pass  from  Him.  What 
is  this  cup  ?  It  is  the  bitter  death  upon  the  cross 
and  nothing  else.  But  why  does  He  suffer  this 
death, 'being  without  sin,  holy  and  righteous?  Alas, 
this  is  brought  about  by  the  sin  of  the  world,  which 
God  has  placed  upon  Him ;  this  it  is  that  oppresses 
and  alarms  Him ! 

But  how  must  I  apply  this  ?  what  must  I  con- 
template here?  This  will  I  consider  here,  and 
believe  that  it  is  true :  if  God  has  placed  my  sin 
upon  Him,  then  am  I  most  certainly  released  from 
sin ;  and  because  this  is  so,  John  the  Baptist  calls 
Him  "The  Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the  sin 
of  the  world."  What  accusation  could  I  now 
bring  against  myself  and  my  dear  Lord  Jesus? 
True,  I  am  a  sinner ;  I  experience,  alas !  that  my 
sins  alarm  me  and  that  they  always  try  to  make  me 
sad ;  I  am  afraid  of  God  and  His  severe  judgment. 
Nevertheless,  of  what  could  I  accuse  myself;    and 


f&6  FIRST  PASSION-SERMON. 

how  could  I  censure  my  clear  Lord  Jesus?  He 
trembles  at  the  mouut  of  Olives,  and  feels  such 
anguish  that  His  sweat  is  as  it  were  great  drops  of 
blood ;  my  sins,  which  He  has  taken  upon  Himself, 
and  whose  heavy  burden  He  has  borne,  have  brought 
Him  to  this.  Therefore,  I  shall  leave  them  there, 
and  firmly  hope  that  when  I  shall  appear  before 
God  aud  His  judgment,  God  shall  find  no  sin  in 
me.  Not  as  though  I  were  pious  and  had  com- 
mitted no  sin,  but  that  God  Himself  has  taken 
away  from  me  my  iniquity  and  laid  it  on  His  Son. 
Isa/53. 

Thus  the  scene  at  the  mount  of  Olives  also  serves 
for  our  consolation ;  it  assures  us  that  Christ  has 
taken  our  sins  upon  Himself  and  rendered  satisfac- 
tion for  them.  For  how  could  we  otherwise  account 
for  such  fear  and  trembling  ?  If  our  sins,  therefore, 
rest  upon  Christ,  we  can  be  content ;  they  are  in  the 
right  place, — just  where  they  belong.  Upon  us 
they  do  not  lie  well;  for  we  and  all  men,  yea  and 
all  creatures,  are  too  weak  to  bear  a  single  sin:  it 
would  crush  us  with  its  weight.  Therefore,  let 
them  remain  upon  Christ,  and  see  what  happens 
Him  on  their  account.  He  takes  them  to  the  cross 
with  Him  and  even  dies  in  consequence  of  them ; 
but  on  the  third  day  He  appears  as  the  Lord  of  sin, 
death  and  the  devil ;  for  they  attacked  Him  with 
all  their  powers,  but  accomplished  nothing.  Now 
this  should  be  our  comfort,  and  we  should  thank 
God  for  the  unspeakable  grace,  by  which  He  re- 
moved from  us  the  heavy  burden  which  would  have 
hurled  us  into  the  abyss  of  hell,  and  placed  it  upon 
His  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord,  who,  although  He 

was  sinless  and  God  eternal,  still  toiled  and  drudged 
4 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  37 

under  it  at  the  mount  of  Olives,  until  the  bloody 
sweat  flowed  gently  from  Him.  To  this  comfort 
let  us  cleave,  and  not  permit  sadness  to  oppress  our 
hearts,  hut  say :  it  is  sufficient  that  my  Lord  Jesus 
mourned  and  trembled  so ;  my  lamentations  can 
accomplish  nothing.  But  if  I  make  His  agony  my 
comfort,  and  on  it  base  my  hopes  in  life  and  death, 
then  has  He  so  labored  for  me  with  His  griefs  and 
fears  that  I  must  in  future  be  joyful  in  Him  and  of 
good  cheer,  and  not  fear  sin  and  death,  but  hope 
for  God's  grace  and  eternal  life.  Such  exercise  of 
faith  and  comfort  in  Christ  is  the  true  worship  of 
God,  pleasing  unto  Him ;  and  since  this  exercise  is 
the  only  means,  by  which  we  can  worship  God 
truly,  poor,  troubled  consciences  should  make  use 
of  it  whenever  the  burden  of  sin  tortures  and  alarms 
the  heart.  Otherwise  it  is  impossible  to  find  any 
true,  certain  consolation  in  such  misery 

But  this  history  of  the  scene  at  the  mount  of 
Olives  is  also  of  use  to  us  in  teaching  us,  by  Christ's 
example,  how  to  conduct  ourselves  in  times  of  fear, 
temptation  and  distress.  The  hour  was  now  at 
hand  when  Judas  should  betray,  the  Jews  capture, 
and  the  Gentiles  crucify  Christ.  What  does  He 
do  ?  He  is  "exceeding  sorrowful"  and  full  of  fear. 
But  this  is  not  all.  "He  went  a  little  further,  and 
fell  on  His  face,  and  prayed."  We  too  must  learn 
this ;  we  dare  not  let  trouble  so  affect  us  that  we 
forget  to  pray.  For  it  is  also  a  necessary  part  of 
divine  worship  and  pleasing  to  God,  not  to  despair 
in  anguish  and  distress,  but,  when  these  attack  us, 
to  lift  up  our  hearts  to  Him,  and  seek  His  help. 
The  91.  Psalm  testifies  to  this,  where  God  says : 
"He  shall  call  upon  me,  and  I  will  answer  him ;  I 


38  FIRST   PASSION-SERMON. 

will  be  with  him  in  trouble ;  I  will  deliver  him,  and 
honor  him."  But  this  is  very  difficult  for  us ;  for 
we  imagine,  when  God  suffers  anxiety  and  distress 
to  come  upon  us,  that  He  is  angry  with  us  and  is 
our  enemy;  and,  therefore,  even  if  we  do  pray,  we 
think  that  our  pra}Ters  are  vain  and  useless.  But 
against  this  we  can  employ  the  comfort  of  Christ's 
agony,  and  thus  drive  back  such  thoughts.  For  if 
God  were  always  angry  when  He  suffers  pains  and 
distresses  to  come  upon  us,  it  would  follow  that  He 
was  angry  with  His  dear  Son.  But  the  reverse  is 
the  case,  as  Solomon  also  says,  namely,  that  the 
father  scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  receiveth,  and 
whom  the  Lord  loveth  He  chasteneth.  There'fore, 
let  no  such  thoughts  deceive  us ;  let  us  not  regard 
God  as  an  enemy  because  He  permits  us  to  suffer. 
We  see  here  that  He  does  not  exempt  His  only 
begotten  Son  from  suffering,  but  permits  Him  to 
feel  sin  and  the  agony  of  death,  and  to  fear  and 
tremble  on  their  account.  We  should  believe  that 
God  deals  with  us  in  the  same  way ;  that  we  are 
His  children  and  that  He  desires  to  remain  our 
Father,  notwithstanding  that  He  lets  us  suffer  a 
little.  For  why  would  we  be  spared  all  those 
things,  from  which  He  did  not  exempt  even  His 
Only  Begotten,  whom  He  permitted  to  suffer  that 
agony  for  us  which  we  would  have  had  to  suffer 
forever  in  hell?  Therefore,  let  us  still  follow  Christ, 
and  as  we  endure  fear  and  distress  with  Him,  even 
so  let  us  learn  to  pray  with  Him,  and  doubt  not 
that  God  will  graciously  hear  our  prayers ! 

And  how  did  Christ  pray  ?  The  prayer  itself  is 
a  very  useful  and  necessary  pattern,  which  we 
should  imitate,  and  never  leave,  out  of  sight.     He 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  .*)(.) 

prays  :  "0  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup 
pass  from  me;  nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as 
Thou  wilt."  This  petition  He  repeats  three  times, 
until  finally,  as  Luke  says,  "there  appeared  an  angel 
unto  Him  from  heaven,  strengthening  Him." 

Now  this  is  the  model  prayer  which  we  too 
should  use  in  temptation  and  trouble.  "0  my 
Father,"  He  prays,  as  though  He  would  say : 
although  my  present  anguish  and  alarm  are  so 
great  that  they  make  me  exceeding  sorrowful,  even 
unto  death,  and  that  I  see  nothing  before  me  but 
Thy  terrible  wrath,  and  death ;  still  I  do  not  doubt 
that  Thou  art  my  Father,  that  Thou  dost  love  me, 
that  Thou  dost  behold  me  and  care  for  me.  There- 
fore, I  hope  to  be  released  from  this  agony.  "If  it 
be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me;"  that  is, 
help  me,  and  save  me  from  these  sufferings. 

Even  as  Christ  calls  upon  God,  His  Father,  so 
must  we  also  do.  For,  although  He  alone  is  the 
eternal  Son  of  God,  according  to  the  2.  Psalm : 
"Thou  art  my  Son ;  this  day  have  I  begotten  Thee," 
yet  we  too  are  children  and  heirs  of  God  by  faith 
in  Christ  Jesus.  "We  should,  therefore,  not  merely 
utter  these  words  in  our  prayers,  but  be  fully  con- 
fident that  God,  as  our  Father,  desires  our  welfare, 
and  will  not  forsake  us,  His  children.  For  where 
such  trust  is  wanting,  there  can  be  no  sincere 
prayer,  and  there  surely  the  thought  is  entertained 
that  God  is  not  our  Father,  that  He  does  not  want 
us,  and  that  He  is  not  concerned  about  us.  But 
this  is  dishonoring  God  and  robbing  Him  of  His 
right  name,  "Father." 


40  FIRST  PASSION-SERMON. 

But  let  us  learn  still  another  lesson.  Our  dear 
Lord  Jesus  prays  that  His  Father  would  let  this 
cup  pass  from  Him,  and,  as  the  true  only  begotten 
Son,  He  expects  everything  good  of  His  Father. 
Yet  He  adds  these  words  :  "Nevertheless,  not  as  I 
will,  but  as  Thou  wilt.'7  Let  us  do  the  same.  Let 
us  not  on  account  of  temptation  and  affliction  think 
that  God  is  angry  with  us ;  but  turn  to  Him  as  the 
child  turns  to  its  father ;  for,  because  we  believe  in 
Christ,  God  will  accept  us  as  sons  and  as  joint  heirs 
with  Christ;  and  let  us  call  upon  Him  for  help, 
saying:  0  blessed  heavenly  Father,  see  how  hard 
it  goes  with  me  in  this  or  that  respect, — help,  for 
the  sake  of  Thy  dear  Son,  Jesus  Christ, — suffer  me 
not  to  remaiu  in  this  distress  or  to  sink  under  it, 
and  so  on.  With  this  God  is  well  pleased.  And  it 
is  His  desire  that  we  all,  in  every  need,  have  such 
confidence  in  Him,  in  and  through  Christ ;  that  we, 
firmly  relying  upon  Him  as  our  dear  Father,  call 
upon  Him ;  and  that  we  do  not  doubt  at  all  that 
He,  for  Christ's  sake,  will  not  only  be  merciful  to 
us  as  His  dear  children,  but  also  heartily  sympathize 
with  us  and  therefore  willingly  help  us.  Still  we 
must  humble  ourselves,  and  not  insist  upon  havings 
our  will,  but  submit  it  to  the  will  of  God  whether 
we  shall  still  continue  in  misery  ;  and,  if  this  is  His 
will,  show  our  obedience  by  patiently  bearing  such 
a  delay  of  deliverance,  as  we  can  see  that  Christ 
here  did. 

But  the  question  might  here  occur  to  us :  why 
does  Christ  here  pray  thus,  while  in  His  prayer  in 
the  17.  chap,  of  John  He  does  not  use  a  single 
word  which  implies  that  He  commits  the  decision, 
whether  He  shall  obtain  His  request  or  not,  to  the 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  41 

will  of  God  ?  There  He  says :  "Father,  the  hour  is 
come;  glorify  Thy  Son.  0  Father,  glorify  Thou 
me.  Keep  through  Thine  own  name  those  whom 
Thou  hast  given  me.  I  pray  that  Thou  shouldest 
keep  them  from  the  evil.  Sanctify  them  through 
Thy  truth."  Also  :  "Father,  I  will  that  they  also, 
whom  Thou  hast  given  me,  be  with  me  where  I 
am,"  &c.  This  entire  prayer  shows  that  He  will 
have  His  request  granted  and  not  denied.  But  why 
does  He  not  pray  in  the  same  way  here?  Answer: 
the  want,  for  which  the  Lord  prays  here,  is  a  tem- 
poral, bodily  want.  Now  we  must,  in  all  things 
pertaining  to  this  bodily  life,  submit  our  will  to 
that  of  God  ;  for,  as  Paul  says,  "we  know  not  what 
we  should  pray  for."  It  is,  besides,  often  necessary 
for  us  that  God  should  leave  us  under  the  cross 
and  in  distress.  Since  God  alone  knows  what  is 
good  for  us,  we  should  prefer  His  will  and  renounce 
our  own,  rendering  obedience  with  patience. 

When,  however,  bodily  affairs  are  not  the  subject 
of  our  prayer,  but  eternal  blessings,  God's  will  is 
manifest  and  unalterable ;  it  is  His  will  that  all  men 
should  be  saved,  that  they  should  acknowledge  their 
sin  and  believe  in  its  forgiveness  through  Christ. 
Such  eternal  blessings  we  receive  when  God  pardons 
our  iniquity,  upholds  us  by  His  Word,  sanctifies  us, 
and  gives  us  the  Holy  Spirit  and  everlasting  life  ; 
and  such  blessings  as  these  it  is  that  Christ  implores 
for  the  Christian  Church  in  John  17.  Therefore, 
when  praying  for  such  heavenly,  eternal  gifts,  it  is 
not  necessary  to  commit  it  to  God's  will,  whether 
He  will  hear  us  or  not.  We  should  know  that  He 
will  give  us  these  things  willingly  and  most  cer- 
tainly;  for  we  have  His  Word  which  declares  to  us 


42  FIRST  PASSION-SERMON. 

His  will  in  this  respect.  "God  so  loved  the  world," 
Christ  tells  us,  "that  He  gave  His  only  begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life."  Behold,  here  we 
have  God's  will  with  reference  to  our  salvation. 
Boldly,  therefore,  let  us  pray  in  accordance  with 
this  will,  just  as  Christ,  John  17.,  prays:  "Father, 
I  will  that  they  be  where  I  am  !"  Be  this  also  our 
prayer :  Father,  I  pray  and  I  will  have  it  so,  that 
Thou  forgive  my  sins  for  the  sake  of  Thy  Son, 
Jesus  Christ,  who  has  expiated  their  guilt,  having 
made  an  atonement  for  them  by  His  death  ! 

In  this  way,  however,  we  cannot  perceive  God's 
will  in  regard  to  bodily  temptation  and  distress. 
We  do  not  know  whether  it  would  contribute  to 
our  salvation  and  to  the  honor  of  God,  if  He  should, 
according  to  our  desire,  quickly  release  us  from 
sickness,  poverty  or  other  troubles.  We  should, 
therefore,  pray  for  help  indeed ;  but  submit  it  to 
the  will  of  God  whether  we  shall  be  helped  soon  or 
shall  continue  in  our  affliction.  And  should  God 
not  relieve  us  immediately,  and  in  the  manner  we 
wish,  our  prayer  shall  still  not  be  useless,  but  God 
shall  strengthen  our  hearts  and  impart  to  us  grace 
and  patience,  so  that  we  can  bear  our  affliction  and 
triumph  in  the  end.  The  example  here  of  Christ 
proves  this ;  God,  His  Father,  would  not  let  the 
cup  pass  from  Him;  still  He  sent  Him  an  angel  who 
strengthened  Him.  So  it  shall  be  with  us  too,  even 
if  God  should  delay  or  refuse  His  help.  But  in 
regard  to  spiritual  wants  we  are  certain  of  being 
heard :  God  will,  for  Christ's  sake,  cheerfully  for- 
give our  sins  and  save  our  souls;  therefore,  we  can 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  4-*J 

pray  for  this  with  sure  confidence,  and  it  were  a 
sin  to  donbt  it. 

This  is  the  third  lesson,  about  prayer  in  tempta- 
tion. But  we  are  very  slow  at  learning  it,  as  the 
example  before  us  of  the  disciples  plainly  shows. 
Temptation  was  in  store  for  them  too,  and,  there- 
fore, the  Lord  admonishes  them  to  pray,  so  that 
they  might  not  enter  into  temptation.  For  in  such 
a  case  prayer  is  the  only  and  the  best  preventive 
and  remedy.  But  the  flesh  is  so  weak  and  slug- 
gish, that  when  the  danger  is  greatest  and  prayers 
are  most  needed  we  slumber  and  sleep;  that  is, 
anguish  overtakes  us  and  molests  us  so  severely, 
that  we  think  all  opposition  is  vain  and  useless. 
Temptation  or  the  fall  is  the  result  of  this,  as  it  was 
in  the  case  of  the  disciples.  But  our  gracious  and 
compassionate  God,  who  has  promised  us  assistance 
and  mercy  through  His  Son  Jesus  Christ,  pardons 
this  weakness  and  rescues  us  from  temptation,  if 
we  heed  His  admonition,  again  to  seek  consolation 
and  help  with  Him. 

This,  then,  is  the  history  of  the  agony  at  the 
mount  of  Olives,  which  should  be  diligently  con- 
sidered and  properly  applied.  This  is  done  when 
we,  in  the  first  place,  learn  from  it  how  very  heavy 
a  burden  sin  must  be,  since  it  so  oppressed  and 
tortured  the  Son  of  God  that  He  trembled,  and  that 
great  drops  of  blood  fell  from  Him  to  the  ground, 
and  when  we,  therefore,  look  well  to  ourselves  and 
flee  from  sin. 

This  is  done  when  we,  secondly,  draw  consolation 
from  this  history  in  those  times  of  distress   and 


44  FIRST  PASSION-SERMOX. 

temptation  which  cannot  fail  to  come  upon  as  too ; 
we  see  how  the  Son  of  God  bore  our  sins. 

We  make  the  right  use  of  this  history  when  we, 
in  the  third  place,  continue  instant  in  prayer,  in 
every  temptation,  according  to  Christ's  command  : 
"Watch  and  pray,  that  ye  enter  not  into  tempta- 
tion." 

He  who  thus  employs  the  occurrences  at  the 
mount  of  Olives,  shall  remain  in  the  fear  of  Grod 
and  in  true  faith,  and  shall  find  comfort  and  deliv- 
erance in  all  manner  of  dangers  and  temptations. 
Ma}r  our  blessed  Lord  Jesus  grant  this  to  us  all 
through  His  Holy  Spirit.     Amen. 


SECOND  PASSION-SERMON. 

The  Seizure  of  Christ  in  the  Garden. 

Matt.  26,  47-50.  And  while  He  yet  spake,  lo,  Judas,  one  of  the 
twelve,  came,  and  with  him  a  great  multitude  with  swords  and  staves, 
from  the  chief  priests  and  elders  of  the  people.  Now  he  that  betrayed 
Him  gave  them  a  sign,  saying,  Whomsoever  I  shall  kiss,  that  same  is 
He ;  hold  Him  fast.  And  forthwith  he  came  to  Jesus,  and  said,  Hail, 
Master ;  and  kissed  Him.  And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Friend,  where- 
fore art  thou  come  ?  Then  came  they,  and  laid  hands  on  Jesus,  and 
took  Him. 

^Ijlshis  is  the  second  part  of  the  history  of  the 
SiHU  events  which  took  place  in  the  garden.  Here 
"we  are  told,  in  the  first  place,  how  Judas,  one  of  the 
twelve,  after  he  had  conferred  with  the  Jews  on  the 
subject,  and  sold  the  Lord  Jesus  for  thirty  pieces  of 
silver,  (each  of  which,  according  to  our  coin,  is 
worth  about  half  of  a  florin),  finally  also  betrayed 
Him  in  the  garden. 

This  was  a  very  wicked  and  scandalous  deed, 
and  it  is,  even  at  this  day,  so  offensive  to  many 
wise  and  sensible  people  that,  on  account  of  it,  they 
speak  evil  of  the  Gospel,  and  consider  its  doctrine 
injurious.  For,  since  Satan  keeps  no  holiday,  but 
•chiefly  sows  his  tares  among  the  wheat  where  he 
sees  the  good  seed  coming  forth  hopefully,  it  is  no 
wonder  that  among  those  who  possess  God's  pure 
\Yord  there  are  found  so  many  disciples  of  Judas, 
that  is,  knaves  and  infidels. 

When  the  world  sees  such  deeds  it  quickly  passes 
judgment  upon  them.  Thus  we  are  often  com- 
pelled to  hear  how  our  adversaries  of  the  present 
day  lay  all  the  blame  for  such  offences  upon  the 


46  SECOND  PASSION-SERMON. 

doctrine,  and  say :  If  the  doctrine  were  correct  it 
would  also  produce  good  fruit,  but  since  there  are 
so  many  more  offences  in  the  world  now  than  there 
were  formerly,  it  must  follow  that  the  doctrine  is 

false. 

True,  the  Insurrection  of  the  Peasants,  in  the 
year  1525,  occurred  after  the  Gospel  had  been 
brought  to  light.  Then  followed  the  Sacrament- 
arians,  Anabaptists,  and  other  sects,  the  like  of 
which  no  one  heard  nor  saw  before  the  Gospel 
came  to  us.  But  does  it,  therefore,  follow  that  the 
doctrine  is  bad,  and  that  such  offences  were  pro- 
duced by  the  doctrine?  We  shall  find  the  answer 
to  this  if  we  examine  that  villain,  Judas,  who  was 
neither  Gentile  nor  Turk ;  neither  was  he  a  Jew  of 
that  kind  which  offered  resistance  to  Christ  and 
paid  no  attention  to  the  "Word  of  God.  Matthew 
says  that  he  was  "one  of  the  twelve,"  whom  Christ 
had  called  to  preach,  to  baptize  in  His  name,  to 
cast  out  devils,  and  to  perform  all  manner  of  glorious 
miracles.  And  since  the  Lord  knew  his  knavery 
from  the  beginning,  there  is  no  doubt  that  He 
instructed  Judas  more  than  the  rest,  always  admon- 
ishing him  not  to  give  place  to  sin  and  temptation. 
In  connection  with  the  Holy  Supper  the  Evangelists 
specially  mention  that  the  Lord  would  every  now 
and  then  let  fly  a  word  or  two  at  him,  if,  peradven- 
ture,  he  might  be  turned  from  his  sin.  And, 
finally,  He  gave  him  a  sop,  no  doubt  casting  upon 
him  a  longing  look,  as  though  He  would  say :  0, 
thou  poor  fellow,  how  canst  thou  be  my  enemy? 
What  cause  do  I  give  thee  for  intending  such 
things  against  me  ? 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  47 

But  since  nothing  could  prevail  with  him,  and 
since  he  gave  place  to  temptation  and  even  yielded 
to  it,  the  Lord  said  unto  him :  "That  thou  doest,  do 
quickly ;"  as  if  He  wanted  to  say :  I  see  well 
enough  that  all  warnings  and  admonitions  are  in 
vain  ;  go,  then ;  there  is  no  help  for  thee. 

Now  what  shall  we  say  to  this,  that  the  desperate 
villain  commits  such  a  hideous  sin,  and  harbors 
such  malice  and  bitterness  against  his  Lord  and 
Master,  in  whose  name  he  also  had  performed 
miracles,  that,  for  the  sake  of  a  trifling  sum  of 
money,  he  betrays  and  sells  the  innocent,  piousr 
gracious  and  gentle  Lord  and  Saviour,  well  know- 
ing that  it  would  cost  His  life?  Whom  shall  we 
blame  for  this?  Here  we  read  that  he  was  one  of 
the  twelve.  Shall  we,  therefore,  say  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  and  the  doctrine  which  Judas  heard  of  Christ 
arc  to  blame?  If  Christ  had  taught  him  better 
tilings,  would  he  have  done  them?  But  supposing 
that  this  thought  did  occur  to  you,  would  you  not 
shudder  at  it,  and  fear  so  to  accuse  the  Lord  Jesus? 
For  you  know  that  He  is  holy  and  righteous,  and 
the  enemy  of  every  vice ;  yea,  that  the  object  of  all 
His  teaching  and  preaching  was  to  check  and  ward 
off"  sin  and  save  from  death.  Why,  then,  would 
you  impute  such  crime  to  our  dear  Lord  ?  You 
should  rather  say :  If  Judas  had  not  been  such  a 
scandalous,  wicked  villain  that  every  friendly  warn- 
ing was  thrown  away  upon  him,  and  could  not  free 
him  from  his  malice,  he  would  have  behaved  himself 
differently;  for,  although  the  other  Apostles  were 
so  very  weak  that  they  were  offended  because  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  they  still  do  not  fall  into  sin  so* 


48  SECOND  PASSION-SERMOX. 

monstrous  as  that  of  Judas,  who  must,  therefore, 
have  been  such  an  arrant  knave  that  nothing  could 
save  him. 

Why  then  do  you  not  pass  the  same  judgment 
upon  similar  cases  which  occur  at  present  ?  Why 
do  you  blame  and  blaspheme  the  Holy  Gospel  for 
that  which  wicked  men  and  Satan  have  committed? 
For  if  Christ  Himself  cannot  preach  with  such 
earnestness  and  power  that  Judas  ceases  to  be  a 
scoundrel,  as  he  was  from  the  beginning,  it  is  no 
wonder  that  the  like  is  seen  among  us  also,  and  that 
not  all  obey  the  Word. 

The  Peasants'  War,  as  stated  before,  followed 
after  God  had  restored  the  Gospel  to  us ;  we  have 
no  desire  to  deny  this.  But  must  the  Gospel, 
therefore,  be  reproached  for  this  offence  and  mis- 
chief? Were  there  not  insurrections  and  offences 
in  the  world  before  the  Gospel  was  preached  ?  We 
should  rather  argue  as  follows :  Satan  hates  the 
Gospel ;  men  are  by  nature  corrupt  and  inclined  to 
evil;  therefore,  Satan  and  the  evil  world  have 
caused  these  offences,  so  that  the  good  seed,  which 
is  the  pure,  wholesome  doctrine,  might  be  despised 
by  men. 

Thus  originated  the  Sacrameutarians  and  Ana- 
baptists also,  of  whom  no  one  heard  before  the 
coming  of  the  Gospel.  But  the  Gospel  is  not  to 
blame.  The  devil,  and  then  the  temerity  of  idle 
and  frivolous  hearts  which  do  not  hold  fast  the 
Word,  but  follow  their  own  wisdom,  whistled  for 
this  jig,  and  prepared  this  terrible  evil  and  such 
pernicious  scandal. 

Even  at  this  day,  as  we  see,  this  scandal  prevails, 
that  avarice  and  usury,  lasciviousness  and  gluttony, 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  49 

and  other  vices  are  more  common  among  those  who 
boast  of  the  Gospel  than  they  were  formerly  under 
the  papacy.  Whence  comes  this  filth  ?  Is  it  learned 
from  the  Gospel?  Are  the  preachers  to  blame? 
No,  such  thoughts  be  far  from  us !  That  would  be 
abusing  and  calumniating  God  and  His  dear  Word, 
and  the  Gospel  ministry  which  is  God's  most 
precious  gift.  But  we  must  blame  the  very  devil, 
who  is  chagrined  when  he  sees  the  field  well  pre- 
pared and  sowed  with  good  seed  ;  for  this  admira- 
bly impairs  his  kingdom.  Therefore,  while  the 
house-holder  sleeps,  he  comes  with  his  seed  of 
wickedness,  and  scatters  tares  over  the  whole  field. 

But  thus  he  does  not  bring  it  about  that  the  tares 
alone  grow.  For  even  as  Judas,  one  of  the  twelve, 
was  a  rascal,  while  the  other  disciples,  notwith- 
standing their  frailty,  did  not  fall  into  such  shock- 
ing sin ;  so,  while  many  and  very  common  offences 
exist,  we  also  find  many  noble,  pious  Christians, 
who  abide  in  the  Word  in  all  sincerity,  live  in  the 
fear  of  God  and  guard  against  offences.  We 
should  be  satisfied  with  this  and  thank  God  for 
it.  And  since  we  cannot  get  rid  of  this  Judas,  we 
shall  have  to  tolerate  him,  still  remembering  that 
not  all  are  like  him,  but  that  some  of  the  disciples 
turned  out  better. 

The  instance  of  the  spoiled  child,  Judas,  teaches 
us,  first,  that  we  must  not  revile  the  Gospel  like 
the  Papists,  but  recognize  the  true  cause  of  offences 
in  the  devil  and  in  those  disobedient  hearts  which 
believe  not  the  Word  and  will  not  be  bettered  by 
the  Word. 

Secondly,  it  teaches  us,  by  that  dreadful  fall,  to 
fear  God.     For,  as  was  said  above,  Judas  was  no 


50  SECOND  PASSION-SERMON. 

common  person,  but  an  Apostle,  and,  doubtless, 
possessed  many  noble,  excellent  gifts ;  this  is  indi- 
cated by  his  having  a  special  office  among  the 
disciples,  the  Lord  having  appointed  him  house- 
holder, or  steward. 

Now  this  Judas,  who  was  an  Apostle,  who  in 
Jesus'  name  preached  repentance  and  remission  of 
sins,  who  baptized,  cast  out  devils,  and  did  other 
miracles,  apostatized  most  shamefully  from  God 
and  became  the  enemy  of  Christ,  whom,  for  a  little 
silver,  he  sold,  betrayed  and  delivered  over  to  be 
slaughtered.  And  since  such  a  terrible  misfortune 
befell  so  great  a  man  as  Judas,  we  surely  have  reason 
never  to  feel  secure,  but  to  fear  God,  to  beware  of 
sin,  and,  without  ceasing,  to  pray  that  God  would 
not  lead  us  into  temptation, -but  that  when  tempta- 
tion comes  upon  us  He  would  mercifully  sustain  us, 
deliver  us  from  it,  and  not  suffer  us  to  stick  fast  in 
it.  For  unless  the  greatest  caution  is  exercised  and 
the  weapon  of  prayer  is  diligently  used,  it  is  a  very 
easy  matter  to  fall  and  commit  sin. 

The  case  of  Judas  stands  thus.  He  was  an 
avaricious  fellow  ;  the  Evangelists  mention  several 
times  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  stealing  from  the 
treasury,  which,  according  to  the  Lord's  appoint- 
ment, was  in  his  care.  He  gave  the  reins  to  this 
sin  and  became  addicted  to  it.  He  permitted  men 
to  talk  and  to  preach  to  him,  as,  alas  !  some  of  the 
miserable,  provoking  Christians  of  our  day  let  them- 
selves be  talked  and  preached  to ;  but  went  never- 
theless and  stole  wherever  he  could,  and  thought 
himself  in  no  danger  because  he  was  an  Apostle  as 
well  as  the  rest. 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  51 

Because  he  thus  gave  place  to  sin,  his  carnal 
security  finally  brought  him  so  far  that  the  devil 
entered  into  him  quite,  and  urged  him  on  to  the 
attainment  of  his  outrageous  purpose  of  betraying 
his  dear  Lord  and  Master  for  fifteen  florins.  Since 
the  devil  was  thus  successful  in  leading  Judas  to 
this  act  of  treachery,  the  greater  wretchedness  fol- 
lowed that  Judas  fell  into  despair  and  hanged  him- 
self on  account  of  such  sin.  This  is  the  end  the 
devil  had  in  view. 

Now  we  should  diligently  observe  this  case  of 
Judas  and,  as  already  stated,  be  admonished  by  it 
to  keep  a  clear  conscience ;  to  live  in  the  true  fear 
of  God  ;  and  not  to  cease  praying  that  God  would 
uphold  us  by  His  Word,  rule  us  by  His  Holy  Spirit, 
and  keep  us  from  sin.  For  if  we  make  a  mistake 
in  an  apparently  trifling  matter  even,  unspeakably 
great  misery  may  ensue.  Our  dear  Lord  Jesus,  in 
the  11.  chapter  of  Lake,  warns  us  against  this,  say- 
ing :  "When  the  unclean  spirit  is  gone  out  of  a 
man,  he  walketh  through  dry  places,  seeking  rest ; 
and  finding  none  he  saith,  I  will  return  unto  my 
house  whence  I  came  out.  And  when  he  cometh, 
he  findeth  it  swept  and  garnished.  Then  goeth  he, 
and  taketh  to  him  seven  other  spirits  more  wicked 
than  himself;  and  they  enter  in  and  dwell  there ; 
and  the  last  state  of  that  man  is  worse  than  the 
first."  We  have  instances  of  this  before  us.  Before 
the  blessed  Gospel  came  to  light  again,  the  devil 
enjoyed  perfect  tranquility ;  he  had  ensnared  uearly 
every  heart  by  a  spurious  worship  and  by  reliance 
on  good  works.  But  God  has  now  banished  him 
by  the  Gospel,  that  we  might  know  that  God  is  not 
served  and  that  we  are  not  benefited  by  the  celebra- 


~>2  SECOND  PASSIOX-SERMOX. 

tion  of  masses,  by  vigils,  pilgrimages  and  monkery. 
God's  Word  has  taught  us  a  different  form  of  wor- 
ship, which  the  2.  Ps.  calls  "kissing  the  Son ;"  and 
God  from  heaven  declared  it  "hearing:  and  believing 
in  His  Son."     This  we  know. 

Let  us  see  what  takes  place  now.  The  devil 
would  gladly  come  back  to  his  old  home;  but  he 
can  not,  for  he  finds  the  entrance  blocked  up  and 
himself  exposed  by  the  light  of  God's  Word.  "Then 
goeth  he  and  taketh  to  him  seven,"  that  is,  in- 
numerable, "other  spirits  more  wicked  than  him- 
self; and  they  enter  in  and  dwell  there."  We  see 
that  most  men  are  under  the  impression  that  they 
can  lead  a  lewd  life,  practice  covetousness  und 
usury,  lie  and  deceive,  and  still  be  in  no  danger,  and 
be  good  Christians  all  the  while.  Wherever  there 
is  a  hole  left  open  for  the  devil,  even  if  we  would 
think  it  too  small  for  him  to  peep  through,  it  is 
large  enough  for  him  to  stick  his  head  in  and  drag 
his  whole  body  after.  In  this  way  he  entered  into 
Judas  too.  We  might  think  his  stealing  ten  or 
twenty  dollars  a  very  little  matter;  but  because  he 
continually  haukered  after  the  pleasures  of  this  sin, 
and  did  not  suffer  God's  Word  to  restrain  him,  the 
devil  finally  prevails  on  him,  for  the  sake  of  money, 
to  lead  his  blessed  Lord  and  Master  like  an  ox  to 
the  slaughter. 

Hence  the  warning :  Fear  God  and  shun  sin. 
But  if  you  will  continue  in  sin,  you  may  look  out 
for  the  danger,  to  which  you  thus  expose  yourself; 
for  the  devil  does  not  go  to  work  with  the  intention 
of  conferring  favors  on  you.  He  prompted  Judas 
to  avarice  until  he  led  him  through  despair  to  the 
gallows.     Let  this  be  vour  warning,  and  desist  in 

4* 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  53 

time !  Earnestly  beseech  God  that  He  would,  for 
Christ's  sake,  not  impute  to  you  your  iniquity,  and 
then  reform !  This  is  the  will  of  God.  He  per- 
mitted this  dreadful  example  of  Judas  to  be  given 
that  we  might  study  it  and  recoil  from  it.  For 
who  would  have  thought  that  such  a  terrible  sin 
could  have  such  an  insignificant  beginning !  0,  do 
not  make  light  of  this ;  do  not  think  in  your  heart : 
I  can  do  so  and  so,  and  still  be  a  Christian, — I  will 
make  amends  some  day,  &c.  The  devil  is  too  cun- 
ning for  you  ;  when  he  has  once  spun  his  web  about 
you,  it  will  not  be  easy  for  you  to  tear  yourself 
away. 

So  much  for  the  example  of  Judas.  From  an- 
other point  of  view  our  text  furnishes  us  comfort 
and  admonition.  It  is  always  the  case,  that,  as  our 
Lord  Jesus  fared  on  earth,  so  must  His  Church  and 
precious  Gospel  fare  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
Judas,  one  of  His  disciples,  betrays  Christ.  Thus, 
they  who  hold  churchly  offices  and  bear  ecclesias- 
tical titles  and  names,  wish  to  be  regarded  as  the 
heads  and  rulers  of  the  Church ;  it  is  not  thirty 
pieces  of  silver,  as  in  the  case  of  Judas,  but  many 
thousand  dollars  that  make  them  traitors  and  arch- 
enemies of  the  Church.  See  the  Pope,  for  instance ; 
he  has  the  very  bag  of  Judas  hanging  from  his 
neck,  and  is  so  fond  of  money  and  possessions  that 
he  takes  them  in  exchange  for  the  Gospel,  which 
he  betrays  and  sells,  and  with  which  he  deals  as  the 
Jews  dealt  with  the  Lord  Jesus  before  Caiphas  and 
Pilate!  And  just  as  Judas  attaches  to  himself  the 
servants  of  the  high  priests  and  rulers,  so  the  Pope 
gathers  about  him  monks,  priests,  schools,  bishops, 
and  his  entire  brood  of  spiritless  Sodomites,  who 


54  SECOND  PASSION-SERMON. 

help  him  capture  Christ,  that  is,  persecute  and 
denounce  the  Gospel,  as  if  it  were  the  most  hellish 
heresy.  And  finally  Pilate,  the  civil  government, 
also  joins  them,  and  attempts  to  exterminate  the 
Gospel  with  the  sword. 

This  has  been  taking  place  a  long  time,  ever 
since  the  Pope  received  such  great  power  and 
authority.  And  even  to-day  the  ranks  of  Judas' 
army  are  being  swelled  by  those  who  use  the  Gospel 
for  coining  gold,  with  which  they  then  feed  their 
avarice,  ambition,  pride  and  lust.  These  should, 
indeed,  consider  Judas'  end.  ife'or  it  has  been 
resolved  that  neither  the  Pope  nor  any  other 
traitors  of  Christ  and  His  Word,  let  them  be  ever 
so  exalted  and  wise,  shall  be  blessed  in  the  posses- 
sion of  that  price  of  blood  obtained  by  selling  Christ 
or  His  Gospel.  Sooner  or  later  remorse  shall  come ; 
and,  should  no  amendment  follow,  these  Gospel- 
venders,  together  with  Judas  their  master,  shall 
receive  eternal  death  and  damnation  as  their  recom- 
pense, in  the  depths  of  hell.  Let  no  one  doubt  this ! 
Were  it  not  for  the  denunciation  of  such  a  terrible 
doom,  we  should  have  reason  for  being  indignant 
on  account  of  these  miserable  fellows,  Pope,  car- 
dinals, bishops,  priests  and  monks,  they  fare  so 
sumptuously  every  day.  But,  my  friends,  let  us 
not  envy  these  fattening  hogs  because  God  permits 
them  for  a  little  while  to  wallow  in  the  filth  of  their 
obscene  lusts ;  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  for  which 
they  sell  their  Lord  every  day,  will  lie  heavily 
enough  upon  their  souls  when  Christ  shall  say  to 
them  :  "Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting 
fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels."  Besides, 
their  heart  and  conscience  cannot  be  long  satisfied. 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  55 

For,  although  they  may  for  a  time  live  in  thought- 
lessness, security  and  riot,  when  eventually  that 
little  black  dog,  Eemorse  by  name,  begins  to  bark, 
it  will  go  badly  enough  with  them ;  then,  with 
eternal  ruin  yawning  before  them,  they  shall  see 
and  feel  what  Isaiah  meant  in  his  48.  chapter,  when 
he  said  :  "There  is  no  peace  unto  the  wicked."  We 
have  instances  before  us  at.  the  present  time  of  the 
terrible  end  which  came  upon  several  of  the  most 
prominent  adversaries  of  the  Gospel. 

This  we  say  with  reference  to  Judas,  of  whom 
the  Evangelists  tell  us  how  he  sold  Christ,  led  the 
Jews  into  the  garden  and  betrayed  the  Lord  Jesus 
with  a  kiss,  which,  according  to  Matthew,  was  the 
sign  he  should  give  the  Jews.  This  is  also  applica- 
ble to  those  false  prophets  who,  because  they  have 
the  authority  of  office,  mislead  poor  consciences 
with  false  and  impure  doctrine. 

The  Evangelist  John  mentions  two  remarkable 
miracles  performed  in  the  garden  by  our  Lord  Jesus. 
One  of  them  is  the  following.  When  the  Jews  had 
come  into  the  garden  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  He  asked 
them,  "Whom  seek  ye?"  And  when  they  had 
answered  Him,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth,"  His  reply,  "I 
am  He,"  so  frightened  them  that  they  all  went 
backward  and  fell  to  the  ground  as  if  they  had  been 
struck  by  lightning.  This  was  done  by  a  special 
and  divine  power,  which  the  Lord  showed  forth  at 
that  time,  not  alone  to  terrify  the  Jews,  but  also  to 
strengthen  His  disciples.  These,  instead  of  ventur- 
ing, as  they  did,  to  rescue  Jesus  by  force,  might 
have  concluded  from  this  display  of  power  that  if 
the  Lord  did  not  choose  to  give  Himself  up  unto 
death,  He  was  able  to  defend  Himself  and  resist  His 


56  SECOND  PASSION-SERMON. 

enemies  without  calling  upon  others  for  assistance 
or  protection.  The  Lord  wanted  no  violence  done, 
and  severely  remonstrates  with  Peter  on  this  sub- 
ject, as  we  shall  see.  This  miracle,  therefore,  serves 
as  a  protection  against  that  gulf  of  offences,  in 
which  both  the  Jews  and  afterwards  even  the  disci- 
ples came  near  drowning.  Since  the  Lord  suffered 
Himself  to  be  seized,  allowed  the  Jews  to  play  on 
Him  their  wauton  pranks,  and  finally  permitted 
Himself  to  be  so  shamefully  executed  upon  the 
cross,  even  the  disciples  were  so  offended  that  they 
forgot  all  those  miracles  which  they  had  seen  Him 
do  and  all  those  powerful  sermons  they  had  heard 
of  Him,  and  thought  that  everything  was  over  with 
Him  now, — that  their  hopes  had  been  all  in  vain. 
And,  on  the  other  hand,  the  unbelieving  and  mali- 
cious Jews  felt  certain  that  their  object  would  be 
Avell  accomplished  as  soon  as  they  should  have  Him 
nailed  to  the  cross. 

How  glorious,  therefore,  this  miracle!  The  great- 
multitude  of  Jews,  armed  with  swords  and  staves, 
provided  with  authority  from  the  rulers,  and  eager 
and  desperate  to  do  its  work,  is  driven  back  and  so 
frightened  that  they  all  fall  to  the  ground  as  it 
some  enemy  had  violently  thrust  them  down;  and 
all  this  by  the  single  word,  "I  am  He,"  spoken  by  a 
man  who  stood  alone  and  weaponless,  and  who  did 
nothing  more  than  speak  most  friendly  words. 
The  disciples  see  this  great  miracle ;  the  Jews  also 
feel  its  force ;  still  it  is  soon  forgotten.  Yea, 
because  Christ  so  patiently  submitted  to  His  suffer- 
ings and  used  no  other  power  against  His  enemies, 
they  took  Him  to  be  a  mere  man. 

But  they  should  in  all  reason  have  argued  as 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  57 

follows :  If  this  Man  is  able,  with  a  single  word, 
which  is  neither  invective  nor  curse,  but  only  a 
gentle  reply,  as  with  a  thunderbolt,  to  strike  down 
such  great,  strong,  bold  and  armed  men,  then  must 
there  surely  be  a  deep  meaning  in  His  voluntary 
resignation.  He  is  able  to  defend  and  protect  Him- 
self, but  instead  of  doing  so  He  submits.  He  there- 
fore does  not  desire  the  aid  of  men.  And,  although 
He  now  hides  His  power  and  permits  the  Jews  to 
do  with  Him  what  they  will,  this  shall,  by  no 
means,  be  the  end  of  it.  Dismay  must  seize  His 
enemies,  but  He  must  conquer.  For  that  divine 
power  which  He  showed  forth  so  frequentl}7,  and 
which  He  manifests  here  in  the  garden  especially 
by  the  single  word,  "I  am  He,"  cannot  remain  with- 
held and  repressed  for  a  great  length  of  time,  &c. 

The  disciples  in  particular  should  have  regarded 
the  miracle  in  this  light.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  it  was  to  this  end  that  the  Lord  here  revealed 
His  divine  might.  But  alas !  the  effects  of  this  were 
too  quickly  lost  upon  both  parties.  The  Jews, 
intent  on  their  mischief,  feared  no  further.  The 
disciples,  running  hither  and  thither,  now  sad,  now 
terrified,  had  no  hope  of  ever  again  seeing  their 
Lord  and  Master,  to  say  nothing  of  their  despairing 
of  ever  being  further  benefited  by  Him.  This  was 
the  "hour  of  darkness,"  as  Christ  calls  it  in  the 
Gospel  according  to  St.  John,  in  which  offences 
prevailed  and  the  devil  exercised  His  power.  It 
was  for  this  reason  that  the  Lord  so  earnestly  ad- 
monished the  disciples,  "Watch  ye  and  pray,  lest 
ye  enter  into  temptation." 

The  other  miracle  is  similar  to  this.  It  is  per- 
formed by  Christ's  second   answer:    "I  have  told 


58  SECOND  PASSIOX-SERMON. 

you  that  I  am  He  ;  if  therefore  ye  seek  me,  let  these 
go  their  way."  Our  dear  Lord  is  alone,  and 
has  neither  sword  nor  spear;  whereas  Judas,  the 
traitor,  comes  upon  Him  with  a  great  multitude. 
We  would  think  that  our  dear  Lord  had  reason  to 
entreat  and  beg,  seeing  that  He  stands  against  such 
numbers.  But  He  advances  and  commands  the 
Jews  that  they  should  let  His  disciples  alone,  and 
not  lay  hands  on  one  ot  them.  This  is  a  stern 
command :  Sinite  hos  abire,  "Let  these  go ;"  and 
we  see  that  it  was  not  given  in  vain.  For  they,  no 
doubt,  set  out  with  the  thought  that  they  would 
capture  the  whole  company,  Master  and  disciples. 
But  this  command  compels  them  to  desist  from 
their  intention  of  taking  the  disciples,  although 
Peter  did  not  deserve  this,  because  he  lay  about  him 
with  his  sword. 

But  why  does  the  Lord  give  such  a  command  ? 
It  is  not  incorrect  to  say,  that  He  wishes  to  show 
by  this  that  He  esteems  His  own  life  more  lightly 
than  the  lives  of  His  disciples ;  for  He  rescues  them 
while  He  lets  Himself  be  taken  and  bound.  For 
the  same  reason  He  calls  Himself  a  "Good  Shep- 
herd" who  "giveth  His  life  for  the  sheep ;"  and 
shows  us  His  love  as  a  special  example,  saying: 
"Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man 
lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends.  Ye  are  my  friends, 
if  ye  do  whatsoever  I  command  you."  We  clearly 
see  that  He  is  silent  about  His  own  person;  the 
Jews  do  with  Him  what  they  please  and  He  does 
not  hinder  them.  But  He  wants  them  to  let  His 
disciples  alone  and  to  do  no  violence  to  them. 
This  shows  that  He  cares  more  for  them  than  for 
Himself. 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  59 

This  was  not  clone  without  a  purpose.  Our  dear 
Lord  Jesus  wanted  no  partners  in  the  sufferings 
before  Him.  For,  as  the  53.  chapter  of  Isaiah  tells 
us,  "The  Lord  hath  laid  on  Him,"  on  Him  alone, 
"the  iniquity  of  us  all,"  and  this  He  had  to  bear 
alone  and  for  this  offer  Himself  as  a  sacrifice.  True, 
the  disciples  also  were  afterwards  compelled  to  suffer 
for  the  sake  of  Christ  and  His  Word,  as  Christ  had 
told  James  and  John :  "Ye  shall  indeed  drink  of 
the  cup  ^that  I  drink  of." 

But  the  suffering  of  the  Lord  Jesus  was  a  suffer- 
ing for  my  sins,  for  thy  sins,  and  for  the  sins  of  all 
the  world ;  so  that  now,  for  Christ's  sake,  God  will 
not  only  forgive  and  pass  by  these  sins,  but  also 
bestow  righteousness  and  eternal  life  upon  me,  upon 
thee,  and  upon  all  believers.  For  this  reason  Christ 
desired  to  be  alone,  and  permitted  no  one  to  be 
seized  nor  to  suffer  with  Him. 

This  should  be  preached  in  all  churches  through- 
out Christeudom,  and  with  all  diligence  should  the 
people  be  continually  taught  to  hope  for  the  for- 
giveness of  every  sin,  alone  through  the  sufferings 
and  death  of  Christ,  &c.  But  this  is  not  done  by 
the  abominable  Pope  and  his  scandalous  scribblers 
and  shriekers.  Their  tongues,  indeed,  confess  that 
Jesus  is  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world  ;  but  their  actions  give  their  words 
the  lie.  This  they  prove  by  their  so  woefully  de- 
ceiving the  poor  people  with  their  falsehoods ;  tell- 
ing them  to  invoke  deceased  saints,  of  these  saints 
to  seek  pardon  for  their  sins,  and  with  the  merits 
of  these  saints  to  console  themselves,  and  in  virtue 
of  their  doing  this  they  receive  indulgences.  This 
is  as  much   as  saying  that  Christ  desired  associates 


()0  SECOND  PASSION-SERMON. 

in  His  sufferings,  and  accomplished  nothing  by 
Himself. 

That  the  Lord  was  afterwards  crucified  between 
"two  thieves"  has  its  peculiar  signification,  viz.,  to 
show  for  whom  Christ's  sufferings  avail,  and  upon 
whom  they  are  lost;  of  which,  however,  we  have 
no  time  to  speak  at  present.  But  here  in  the  garden 
the  word  is:  Sinite  hos  abire,  "Let  these  go;*'  I 
alone  am  fit  for  this  work ;  to  suffer  and  to  die  for 
the  sins  of  the  world  is  an  office  which  belongs  to 
me  alone.  Neither  John,  Peter  or  James  can  do 
anything  in  this ;  let  all  these  go  their  way  !  I,  "I 
am  He;"  me  you  must  lay  hold  on,  me  capture,  me 
bind,  me  crucify,  unto  me  it  is  given  to  take  away 
the  sin  of  the  world;  and  all  who  believe  in  me, 
that  is,  comfort  themselves  with  my  suffering  and 
death,  shall  find  a  gracious  God  and  eternal  life. 

This,  then,  is  the  second  part  of  the  history  of 
those  things  concerning  Christ  which  occurred  in 
the  garden.  It  teaches  us :  first,  to  bear  in  mind 
this  terrible  fall  of  the  Apostle  Judas,  to  abide  in 
the  fear  of  God,  to  avoid  sin,  and  to  be  diligent  in 
prayer  that  God  may  in  mercy  prevent  us  from 
falling  as  Judas  fell ;  secondly,  that  we  also,  as  true 
Christians,  shall  be  sorely  molested  by  the  avarice 
of  some  Judas  or  other,  that  we  must  patiently 
endure  this  and  cling  to  the  consolation  that  Christ, 
though  He  may  be  weak  in  us  now,  will  show  His 
power  at  the  proper  time,  and  graciously  protect 
and  preserve  us.  The  Ever-living  Father  of  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  grant  us  this  by  His 
Holy  Spirit.     Amen. 


THIRD  PASSION-SERMOtf. 

Christ  Refusing  to  be  Rescued  by  Peter's  Sword. 

Matt.  26,  51-56.  And,  behold,  one  of  them  which  were  with  Jesus 
stretched  out  his  hand,  and  drew  his  sword,  and  struck  a  servant  of 
the  high  priest,  and  smote  off  his  ear.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  him, 
Put  up  again  thy  sword  into  his  place :  for  all  they  that  take  the 
sword  shall  perish  with  the  sword.  Thinkest  thou  that  I  cannot  now 
pray  to  my  Father,  and  He  shall  presently  give  me  more  than  twelve 
legions  of  angels?  But  how  then  shall  the  Scriptures  be  fulfilled,  that 
thus  it  must  be?  In  that  same  hour  said  Jesus  to  the  multitudes,  Are 
ye  come  out  as  against  a  thief  with  swords  and  staves  for  to  take  me? 
I  sat  daily  with  you  teaching  in  the  temple,  and  ye  laid  no  hold  on 
me.  But  all  this  was  done,  that  the  Scriptures  of  the  prophets  might 
be  fulfilled.     Then  all  the  disciples  forsook  Him,  and  fled. 

j|lris  is  the  third  and  last  part  of  the  scene  in 
the  garden,  or  at  the  mount  of  Olives.  It 
relates  how  Peter  drew  his  sword,  intending  to 
rescue  his  Master  by  force,  after  they  had  taken  the 
Lord  Jesus. 

The  facts  here  narrated,  in  the  first  place,  teach 
us  a  necessary  and  useful  lesson  concerning  the 
sword,  or  temporal  power,  showing  who  shall  and 
who  shall  not  wield  it,  and  what  punishment  is  due 
to  him  who  presumes  to  bear  it  without  a  call. 
Secondly,  whereas  Peter  in  this  case  makes  use  of 
the  sword  to  liberate  Christ,  and  still  Christ  forbids 
his  doing  so,  it  becomes  necessary  here  to  treat  the 
question,  whether  we  dare  or  should  defend  the 
Gospel  with  the  sword,  so  that  the  civil  government 
may  be  properly  instructed  in  both  respects,  and 
neither  act  contrary  to  its  office,  nor  do  more  than 
its  calling:  demands.  Otherwise  both  Church  and 
State  would  be  unjustly  dealt  by,  which  injustice 
would  be  most  certainly  punished. 


()2  THIRD  PASSION-SERMON. 

N  )\v  as  far  as  Peter  is  concerned,  it  is  manifest 
that  he  was  a  minister  or  ecclesiastic,  whom  it  does 
not  behoove  to  bear  the  sword,  according  to  the 
words  of  Christ :  "The  princes  of  the  Gentiles  exer- 
cise dominion.  Bat  it  shall  not  be  so  among  you." 
Therefore,  Peter  does  wrong  in  resorting  to  the 
sword  for  the  Lord's  protection,  and  Christ  rebukes 
him  for  it.  This  was  not  a  matter  that  could  be 
decided  with  the  sword,  for  Christ  says :  Even  if 
our  cause  did  depend  upon  our  defence,  "Thinkest 
thou  that  I  cannot  now  pray  to  my  Father,  and  He 
shall  presently  give  me  more  than  twelve  legions  of 
angels?"  This  was  as  much  as  saying:  It  is  .now 
expedient  for  me  to  suffer;  I  will  not  have  any  one 
to  draw  his  sword  on  my  account  and  strike  for  my 
protection.  But  Christ  administers  this  rebuke  to 
Peter  for  the  reason,  also,  that  to  him  as  a  private 
person  the  sword  did  not  belong.  Therefore,  He 
not  only  commands  Peter  to  put  up  his  sword,  but 
also  pronounces  the  terrible  threat :  "All  they  that 
take  the  sword  shall  perish  with  the  sword." 

We  must  duly  heed  these  words ;  for  by  them 
the  Lord  makes  a  distinction  among  men,  inform- 
ing us  that  some  wield  the  sword  by  divine  com- 
mission. These  are  all  they  who,  by  the  proper 
and  ordinary  means,  are  called  to  the  temporal 
government  for  the  purpose  of  ruling,  of  guarding 
and  promoting  the  public  weal,  and  of  preventing 
public  offences.  Into  the  hands  of  these  God  gives 
the  sword,  that  is,  it  is  God's  will  and  institution 
that  they  bear  the  sword,  not  for  their  own  emolu- 
ment, but  for  the  good  of  their  subjects,  as  St.  Paul 
says :  A  ruler  "is  the  minister  of  God,  a  revenger 
to  execute  wrath  upon  him  that  doeth  evil."     For 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  6-5 

since  words  will  not  persuade  the  world,  severity 
must  be  used,  and  people  must  be  compelled  to 
desist  from  crime,  so  that  the  common  peace  and 
unity  may  be  maintained  and  a  restraint  be  put 
upon  wantonness.  If  the  thief  persist  in  stealing, 
let  him  dangle  from  the  gallows,  and  then  we  shall 
be  secure  from  him.  Let  the  wanton  villain  who 
takes  delight  in  injuring  every  one,  and  who  strikes 
and  stabs  tor  the  sake  of  a  mere  word,  find  justice 
on  the  gibbet,  and  then  he  will  let  people  alone; 
he  will  henceforth  strike  and  stab  no  more,  for  the 
hangman  puts  an  excellent  stop  to  such  work. 
Therefore,  the  civil  government  serves  God  by  using 
the  sword  against  sin  and  scandal ;  for  God,  who 
will  not  leave  offences  and  sin  unpunished,  has 
given  the  command  to  do  this.  God  makes  this 
distinction  among  men,  that  to  a  few  He  intrusts 
the  sword,  with  it  to  ward  off  mischief  and  to  pro- 
tect the  subjects. 

But  the  rest,  who  have  not  received  such  author- 
ity, must,  by  no  means,  handle  the  sword,  and  never 
draw  it  except  at  the  command  of  the  temporal 
government.  But  should  they  take  it  on  their  own 
responsibility,  the  judgment  written  here  will  most 
certainly  not  fail :  "All  they  that  take  the  sword 
shall  perish  with  the  sword."  In  every  history  we 
see  how  they  who  took  revenge  into  their  own 
hands  never  succeeded  well  with  it ;  all  rebels  had 
to  suffer  finally  and  perished  with  the  sword.  All 
manslayers  who  wickedly  murdered  others  were 
either  delivered  to  the  executioner  or  perished  in 
some  other  way,  or  else  went  so  astray  in  the  miser- 
able life  they  led  that  they  would  a  thousand  times 
better  have  died.     Such  is  the  regulation  of  God  • 


<)4  THIRD  PASSION-SERMON. 

He  will  have  it  so,  that  all  they  that  take  the  sword, 
and  do  not  wait  until  God  or  the  government  gives 
it  to  them,  shall  perish  with  the  sword ;  this  cannot 
be  changed.  Let  every  one,  therefore,  be  careful 
and  bridle  his  wrath ;  let  him  either  patiently  bear 
his  wrongs  and  subdue  his  passion,  or  else  seek 
justice  in  the  proper  and  divinely  sanctioned  way. 
What  this  is,  has  been  sufficiently  pointed  out.  Since 
God  has  given  temporal  governments  the  command 
to  restrain  offences  and  defend  the  pious  with  the 
sword,  we  must  seek  safety  at  the  hands  of  these 
governments  and  inform  against  the  offender.  We 
must  do  this  not  alone  for  our  security,  but  also  to 
the  end  that  offences  be  resisted,  that  malice  be 
hindered,  and  that  they  who  exercise  temporal 
authority  may  properly  discharge  the  duties  of  their 
office.  For  neither  a  mayor  of  a  town  nor  a  ruler 
of  a  land  can  be  acquainted  with  every  disturbance, 
and  still  their  office  makes  them  responsible  to  God 
for  the  quelling  of  all  offences  and  uproars.  Now 
if  you  and  every  body  else  would  choose  to  keep 
silent  about  your  wrongs,  this  would  only  increase 
the  mischief  and  be  giving  the  occasion  for  your 
own  hurt,  both  of  which  results  would  be  wrong, 
and  both  of  which  you  can  prevent  by  calling  upon 
the  government  for  protection.  Should  the  govern- 
ment, however,  upon  your  petition  do  nothing  in 
this  matter,  and  not  help  you  to  your  rights,  then 
observe  this :  Bear  your  wrongs  patiently  and  be- 
ware of  revenging  yourself,  lest  your  righteous 
cause  become  unrighteous  before  God  and  man. 

But  what  then  becomes  of  the  words  of  Christ : 
"Whosoever  shall  smite  thee  on  thy  right  cheek, 
turn  to  him  the  other  also.     And  if  any  man  will 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  65 

sue  thee  at  the  law,  and  take  away  thy  coat,  let 
him  have  thy  cloak  also,"  &c.?  We  answer:  Both 
of  these  commands  were  given  that  we  might  be 
restrained  from  taking  revenue  into  our  own  hands, 
and  that  we  might  rather  suffer  all  things,  and  wait 
for  the  judgment  of  the  Heavenly  Judge,  who  is 
not  so  slow  and  heedless  in  conducting  His  office, 
as  the  civil  authorities  frequently  are  in  conducting 
theirs.  Christ  here  does  not  forbid  our  complain- 
ing to  the  government  of  the  injury  that  is  done 
us;  He  does  not  impose  silence  upon  us. 

But,  you  ask,  do  I  not  seek  revenge  when  I  make 
complaint  against  him  who  has  harmed  me?  Most 
certainly ;  but  you  do  right  by  this,  provided  you 
do  it  in  the  proper  way  and  without  anger  or  hatred 
towards  your  neighbor.  For  this  is  not  your  own 
revenge,  but  the  revenge  instituted  by  God  for  the 
purpose  of  checking  scandal  and  protecting  every 
one  in  the  possession  of  his  own.  In  short,  he  who 
has  not  been  commanded  to  use  the  sword  and  still 
arrogates  it  to  himself,  to  revenge  himself  or  others, 
subjects  himself  to  the  judgment  and  condemnation 
of  God  :  "All  they  that  take  the  sword  shall  perish 
with  the  sword."  Whenever,  therefore,  you  or 
yours  are  injured,  beware  of  the  improper  course  of 
grasping  the  sword  yourself  and  being  your  own 
defender!  But  make  use  of  the  correct  means, 
that  is,  bring  the  matter  before  your  government 
and  let  this  protect  and  succor  you ;  God  com- 
manded it  to  do  this  and  ordained  it  for  this.  If 
you  do  this  you  do  well,  and  will  be  safe  against 
meddling  with  the  affairs  of  others.  But  if  the 
government  either  will  not  or  can  not  help  you, 
then  endure  your  afflictions,  touch  not  the  sword, 


GO  THIRD  PASSIOX-SERMGN. 

and  let  God  be  your  Avenger ;  He  surely-  will 
avenge  you  and  also  punish  the  government  for  its 
negligence ! 

But  should  a  cut-throat  come  upon  me  in  the 
forest,  or  a  ruffian  attack  me  on  the  highway,  with 
the  intention  to  harm  me,  and  I  had  no  time  to 
seek  the  protection  of  the  government,  must  I  suffer 
myself  to  be  injured  or  murdered?  No;  for  in 
such  a  case  the  government  permits  every  one  to 
defend  his  person  and  his  life  against  violence  and 
outrage;  for  whenever  she  can  lay  hold  on  these 
villains,  she  executes  them  without  delay.  For  this 
and  other  reasons  Moses,  according  to  the  command 
of  God,  prescribed  the  appointment  of  several  cities 
of  refuge,  to  which  the  man  slayer  might  resort  who 
had  taken  life  not  intentionally,  nor  for  revenge, 
nor  in  wrath,  but  accidentally  or  in  pressing 
necessity.  The  civil  authorities  also  follow  this 
rule  and  recognize  the  lawfulness  of  self-defence. 
But  in  all  other  cases  remember  that  "All  they  that 
take  the  sword  shall  perish  with  the  sword." 

But  as  they  who,  having  no  right  to  the  sword, 
still  continue  to  usurp  the  power  of  the  sword,  clo 
not  seek  lawful  vengeance  and  wish  to  admin- 
ister vengeance  themselves ;  even  so,  on  the  other 
hand,  the}',  to  whom  God  has  given  the  sword  that 
they  might  diligently  wield  it,  are  always  inclined 
to  be  too  mild,  as  though  God  had  given  a  fox's 
tail  into  their  hand  instead  of  a  keen-edged  sword. 
These  latter  also  commit  great  sin  and  are  griev- 
ously disobedient  before  God,  and  they  also  shall 
be  very  sorely  punished  for  their  conduct.  For 
where  the  civil  government  does  not  oppose  public 
scandal  with  reasonable  severity,  there  God  Himself 


SERMONS  ON  THE  00,-PELS.  ()T 

must  eventually  interfere  as  Judge  and  use  the 
sword.  And  at  the  advent  of  this  Judge,  not  only 
an  individual  or  two,  but  an  entire  city  or  land 
must  suffer  for  these  sius.  This  we  learn  from 
many  passages  of  Scripture  and  from  numerous 
instances  before  us.  It  is,  therefore,  necessary  that 
magistrates  do  not  become  lazy  or  indulgent,  but 
that  they  exercise  a  becoming  earnestness  and  a 
vigilant  supervision,  and  that  they  apply  punish- 
ment wherever  offences  exist;  thus  they  satisfy  the 
demands  of  their  office  and  please  God.  But.  as 
we  have  already  said,  this  is  an  unpleasant  duty ; 
men  take  no  delight  in  it,  as  can  be  shown  by 
examples.  For  howT  often  do  we  not  find  mildness 
used  where  it  should  not  be  used,  and  the  most 
heinous  offences  lightly  punished  !  How  frequently 
are  not  hindrances  interposed,  and  intercession 
made,  so  that  crimes  escape  unpunished! 

But  should  we  not  have  more  regard  for  the 
divine  command  than  for  human  intercession  ? 
God  says :  Receive  from  my  hand  this  sword ;  I 
give  it  thee  -that  thou  shalt,  in  my  stead,  punish 
every  one  under  thy  control  who  is  guilty  of  public 
offence,  no  matter  whether  he  be  friend  or  foe, 
exalted  or  low,  rich  or  poor,  noble  or  ignoble ;  let 
the  sword  descend  wherever  there  are  offences,  so 
that  these  may  not  prevail!  This  is  what  God  says 
to  every  government.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
men  come  with  their  petitions,  asking  that  this  or 
that  one  might  be  pardoned,  or  punished  mildly, 
although  the  most  terrible  trespasses,  atrocia  delicta, 
have  been  committed,  such  as  brutal  murder,  incest, 
and  the  like,  &c.  And  it  often  happens  that  man's 
intercession  has  more  influence  upon  the  govern- 


68  THIRD  PASSION-SERMON. 

merit  than  the  stringent  command  of  God.  I  leave 
it  to  you  to  judge  whether  this  is  right,  and  what 
must  be  the  result  under  God's  justice. 

Sometimes  offences  are  public,  but  the  civil 
government  refuses  to  punish  them  unless  some  one 
volunteers  as  plaintiff.  Because  no  one  brings  com- 
plaint, it  lets  the  matter  pass.  This  is  downright 
heedlessness,  both  in  regard  to  God's  command 
and  to  the  office.  The  watchman  is  stationed  on 
the  tower,  by  day  and  by  night  to  be  on  the  look- 
out for  fires  or  other  mischief  that  may  occur  with- 
in or  without  the  city,  and  then  to  publish  the 
danger  in  time,  and  to  warn  against  losses.  In 
like  manner  God  has  placed  the  temporal  ruler  far 
above  all  other  people,  that  he  might  exercise 
watchfulness,  and  when  he  sees  offences  about  to 
be  committed,  be  they  great  or  small,  to  put  them 
down  with  the  sword  before  they  become  formid- 
able, no  matter  whether  any  one  has  complained  or 
not.  Therefore,  "he  beareth  the  sword,"  as  Paul 
says,  to  be  "a  terror  to  evil  works,"  so  that  peace 
may  be  enjoyed  by  all  and  wantonness  may  be 
resisted.  And  the  Lord  commands  here  that  the 
sword  shall  not  rest  nor  be  idle,  but  destroy  those 
who  take  it.  Thus  we  see  that  both  parties  fail  to 
do  their  duty  :  they  who  have  not  the  sword,  wish 
to  have  it  and  lay  about  them  with  it,  like  Peter 
here;  but  they  who  have  it,  can  with  great  difficulty 
be  persuaded  to  grasp  and  wield  it. 

But  they  who  really  understand  and  obey  this 
passage  will  act  differently.  They,  into  whose 
hands  God  has  not  committed  the  sword,  will,  of 
course,  let  it  alone,  and  rather  suffer  all  things  than 
presume  so  far  as  to  take  it ;  and  this,  because  they 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  69 

recognize  the  command  of  Christ  and  the  ordinance 
of  God,  which  they  feel  certain  dare  not  be  trifled 
with,  and  against  the  violation  of  which  they 
gnard  as  against  the  executioner,  the  gallows  or 
the  wheel.  And  they,  to  whom  God  has  given  the 
sword,  will  cheerfully  and  fearlessly  sway  it  over 
one  and  all,  regardless  of  their  subjects'  station  and 
property ;  for  they  know  that  they  are  bound  to 
check  scandal  wherever  they  meet  it,  and,  therefore, 
they  obey  God  and  serve  Him  eagerly.  This  must 
suffice  for  the  first  point. 

The  question  which  we  stated  in  the  beginning 
now  claims  attention.  As  private  persons  are  ab- 
solutely forbidden  to  grasp  the  sword,  and  the  Lord 
reproves  Peter  for  drawing  his  sword  in  Christ's 
behalf,  would  it  then  be  lawful  for  a  government  to 
defend  itself  when  attacked  on  account  of  religion? 
Or,  in  plainer  terms :  considering  that  Christ  did 
not  permit  Peter  to  rescue  Him  with  the  sword,  are 
rulers  permitted  to  resist  attacks  made  on  the  Gos- 
pel, and  to  instruct  their  subjects  everywhere  to 
defend  it  with  the  sword? 

It  is  necessary  here,  first,  to  observe  the  distinc- 
tion between  the  civil  government,  the  office  of  the 
ministry,  and  the  private  person.  The  civil  govern- 
ment, above  all  other  duties  assigned  to  it,  has 
received  the  emphatic  command  to  disseminate  and 
apply  God's  Word,  and  with  the  sword  to  protect 
those  subjects  who  are  oppressed  on  account  of  the 
Word.  About  this  there  is  no  question  whatever; 
for  the  sword  must  protect  virtue  and  punish  vice, 
and,  above  all,  serve  to  promote  the  knowledge  of 
God,  as  we  infer  from  Rom.  13.  And  God  says  in 
Isa. :  The  Church  shall  "suck  the  breasts  of  kings," 


70  THIRD  PASSION-SERMON. 

that  is,  they  shall  be  her  protectors ;  and,  in  the  24. 
Ps. :  "Lift  up  your  heads,  0  ye  gates ;  and  be  ye 
lifted  up,  ye  everlasting  doors;  and  the  King  of 
glory  shall  come  in." 

But  ministers  of  the  Gospel  and  private  persons 
are  not  the  civil  government;  therefore,  neither 
ministers  nor  private  persons  dare  draw  the  sword, 
for  they  have  received  no  command  to  this  effect. 
Peter,  at  that  time,  did  not  understand  this  so;  for 
he  did  not  know  that  the  ministry  would  be  an 
office  void  of  royal  and  princely  favor.  Peter  should 
not,  therefore,  have  drawn  the  sword.  But  all 
temporal  authorities  are  obliged  to  shield  God's 
Word  and  the  true  Church.  Had  God  ordained 
them  as  swineherds,  then  their  only  duty  would  be 
to  protect  the  throats  and  care  for  the  corn  of  their 
subjects;  but,  as  it  now  is,  they  must,  first  of  all, 
preserve  the  honor  and  knowledge  of  God  in  the 
human  race,  perpetuate  the  true  worship  of  God, 
punish  and  exterminate  false  doctrine  and  idolatry, 
and  rather  hazard  everything  than  suffer  themselves 
or  their  subjects  to  be  forced  into  idolatry  or  false- 
hood. Therefore  the  2.  Ps.  says  to  them  :  "Kiss 
the  Son,"  that  is,  receive  and  protect  God's  Word  ! 

This  is  the  civil  ruler's  noblest  duty.  We  see  in 
history  that  God  imposed  this  duty,  and  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  highly  extols  not  only  the  pious  Jewish 
kings,  Jehoshaphat,  Josiah,  Hezekiah,  but  also  the 
kings  of  the  Gentiles,  e.  g.  Nebuchadnezzar,  Darius, 
Cyrus,  because  they  instituted  the  true  worship  of 
God  and  violently  opposed  the  worship  of  idols. 

This  being  the  office  of  the  civil  government,  it 
follows  that  she  must,  as  long  as  she  can,  protect 
and  preserve  herself  and  those  belonging  to  her 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  71 

against  the  attacks  of  the  ungodly  and  never  give 
way  to  these  assaults ;  for  it  is  impossible  that  they 
who  persecute  God's  Word  and  carry  on  idolatry, 
should  have  the  Holy  Ghost.  For  what  would  be 
the  result  should  she  refuse  to  do  this?  She  alone 
bears  the  sword;  and  her  subjects  dare  not  take  it 
even  in  case  she  herself  refuses  to  use  it.  The 
inevitable  result  must  be  that  success  would  crown 
the  efforts  of  the  wicked,  the  Word  of  God  would 
be  extirpated,  God's  pure  worship  would  cease,  and 
the  old  idolatry  would  be  re-established! 

Now  who  is  willing  to  sanction  this  and,  by 
sanctioning  it,  to  heap  upon  himself  such  great  and 
terrible  sin?  yes,  who  will  dare  to  do  this,  knowing 
that  it  is  written  :  "Kiss  the  Son,  lest  He  be  angry, 
and  ye  perish  from  the  way;"  further,  Lev.  24: 
"He  that  blasphemeth  the  name  of  the  Lord,  he 
shall  surely  be  put  to  death ;"  also :  "Flee  from 
idolatry;"  and  again  :  "Rulers  are  a  terror  to  evil 
works?"  And  now,  since  the  establishing  of  idol- 
atry is  an  evil  work,  they  who  have  the  sword  are 
not  only  permitted,  but  also  seriously  commanded, 
with  all  boldness  to  shield  and  save  themselves  and 
theirs  from  this  evil  by  the  sword.  On  the  subject 
of  self-defense,  you  may  find  the  answer  to  the 
question,  whether  subordinates  may  defend  them- 
selves against  those  superiors  who  exercise  public 
tyranny,  as  against  notorious  murderers  or  high- 
waymen, by  reading  the  Admonition  to  the  German 
People,  and  other  works  which  specially  treat  on 
this  subject;  it  would  occupy  too  much  time  at 
present. 

But  here  we  speak  of  those  alone  who  have  the 
sword,  that  is,  who  are  in  office.     Now  if  bishops, 


72  THIRD  PASSION-SERMON. 

for  instance,  who  are  of  that  class  of  people  that  has 
not  the  sword,  deprive  their  subjects  of  one  of  the 
elements  in  the  Holy  Supper,  or  inflict  upon  them 
other  manifest  errors,  these  subjects,  although  they 
ought,  in  such  cases,  to  obey  God  rather  than  men, 
and  although  God  seriously  requires  such  disobedi- 
ence to  their  commands,  dare  not  draw  the  sword 
on  account  of  such  errors,  but  must  bear  them,  if 
they  would  not  use  the  sword  like  Peter,  who  had 
not  been  commanded  to  do  so. 

But  you  say  that  a  Christian  must  tolerate  in- 
justice and  violence,  and  not  oppose  them  by  force. 
I  answer  that  the  subject  of  which  we  now  are 
speaking  is  the  civil  government,  who  is  the  sword- 
bearer;  and  she  has  sufficient  violence  done  her 
when  other  governments  destroy  her  peace  and 
attack  her  in  war.  Let  us  regard  these  her  suffer- 
ings as  severe  enough,  and  not  impose  still  further 
burdens  upon  a  Christian  government !  He  who 
afflicts  her  still  more,  and  even  snatches  the  sword 
out  of  her  hand,  virtually  gives  his  consent  that 
the  enemies  of  truth  shall  exercise  their  malice 
without  restraint,  and  even  deprive  us  of  God's 
Word.  There  is  time  euough  for  giving  such  con- 
sent, when  the  government  is  not  able  to  protect 
the  truth.  But  as  long  as  we  can  hope  for  her 
help,  and  as  long  as  the  matter  depends  upon  the 
help  of  God  and  reposes  in  His  hand,  it  is  our  duty 
to  venture  and  to  suffer,  so  that  we  may  not  be 
accused  of  being  more  mindful  of  favor,  peace,  and 
the  like,  than  of  God's  Word  and  the  salvation  and 
well-being  of  the  subjects. 

Ever  clear  and  plain,  therefore,  stands  the  com- 
mand :    Osculamini  filium ;    Hunc  audite,  "Kiss  the 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  73 

Son;"  "Hear  ye  Him;"  "Flee  from  idolatry,"  &c. 
Such  commands  as  these  require  of  the  worldly 
ruler  that  he  oppose  not  merely  worldly  or  temporal 
offence,  but  also  false  doctrine  and  false  worship. 
But  by  what  means  must  he  do  this?  What  means 
has  God  given  him?  Read  St.  Paul's  13.  chapter 
to  the  Romans,  where  you  are  informed :  "He 
beareth  not  the  sword  iu  vain."  But  against  whom 
shall  he  bear  it?  Against  those  who  defend  false 
doctrines  and  idolatry,  and  who  seek  to  compel 
others  to  accept  heresy  and  false  worship.  This 
the  Christian  government  dare  not  tolerate.  For 
the  heavenly  Lord  of  lords  has  forbidden  it,  and 
declares  that  God  is  worshiped  and  His  Word 
lauded  when  we  jeopard  peace,  the  favor  of  men, 
and  the  like,  rather  than  sanction  that  which  mili- 
tates against  God's  Word. 

This,  then,  is  the  import  of  Peter's  unauthorized 
attempt  at  liberating  the  Lord  by  fighting  with  the 
sword.  But  in  our  text  we  find  yet  another  sermon, 
which  is  a  reproof  designed  especially  for  the  Jews, 
who  had  been  instructed  by  their  proper  govern- 
ment to  take  swords  and  staves,  and  with  them  to 
attack  the  Lord  Jesus.  Still  they  receive  the  Lord's 
reprimand.  "Are  ye  come  out  as  against  a  thief 
with  swords  and  staves  for  to  take  me?  I  sat 
daily  with  you  teaching  in  the  temple,  and  ye  laid 
no  hold  on  me." 

With  these  words  the  Lord  rebukes  them  for  a 
twofold  reason.  In  the  first  place,  even  when  the 
civil  government  puts  the  sword  into  her  subjects' 
hands,  they  must  not  take  it  if  they  are  expected  to 
use  it  in  an  unrighteous  cause;  and,  secondly,  they 
should  not  have  taken  it  to  use  it  against  Him, 


74  THIRD  PASSION-SERMON. 

their  Lord.  For  He  was  no  murderer.  It  was  the 
doctrine  that  was  in  question.  Doctrinal  disputes 
are  not  to  be  judged  and  decided  by  fire  and  sword 
in  imitation  of  the  Papists,  but  according  to  the 
Scriptures.  If  we  are  heretics,  as  they  accuse  us, 
then  let  them  prove  it  from  Scripture,  and  leave  the 
hangman  at  home;  he  has  no  business  with  such 
disputes. 

But  as  the  Jews  dealt  with  Christ,  so  the  Papists, 
their  disciples,  still  deal  with  Him.  They  can  not 
and  they  will  not  enter  upon  a  debate,  unless  their 
doctors  and  papal  decrees  are  recognized  as  having 
equal  authority  with  God's  Word.  But  since  we 
refuse  to  recognize  them  as  having  such,  they  come 
out  against  us  with  swords  and  staves,  as  did  the 
Jews  against  Christ.  I  suppose  they  do  this  so  that 
every  one  can  see  that  they  are  of  the  same  breed 
with  the  Jews,  to  whom  the  Lord  says,  Jno.  8 : 
"Ye  are  of  your  father  the  devil,"  for  "ye  seek  to 
kill  me."  This  applies  admirably  to  these  blood- 
hounds, the  Papists.  But  we,  who,  like  Peter,  have 
not  been  called  to  use  the  sword,  must  suffer  these 
things.  God,  however,  in  His  own  good  time,  will 
punish  such  cruel  despotism,  and  mercifully  deliver 
His  own  from  the  fury  of  these  blood-thirsty 
tyrants.     Amen. 


FOURTH  PASSION -SERMON". 

The  Lord  Jesus  Led  to  Annas  and  Caiaphas  and 
Tried  by  the  Jews. 

Matt.  26,  57-G8.  And  they  that  had  laid  hold  on  Jesus  led  Him 
a  wiiy  to  Caiaphas  the  high  priest,  where  the  scribes  and  the  elders 
were  assembled.  But  Peter  followed  Him  afar  off  unto  the  high  priest's 
palace,  and  went  in,  and  sat  with  the  servants,  to  see  the  end.  Now 
the  chief  priests,  and  elders,  and  all  the  council  sought  false  witness 
against  Jesus,  to  put  Him  to  death  ;  but  found  none  :  yea,  though 
many  false  witnesses  came,  yet  found  they  none.  At  the  last  came 
two  false  witnesses,  and  said,  This  fellow  said,  I  am  able  to  destroy 
the  temple  of  God,  and  to  build  it  in  three  days.  And  the  high  priest 
arose,  and  said  unto  Him,  Answerest  Thou  nothing?  what  is  it  which 
these  witness  against  Thee?  But  Jesus  held  His  peace  And  the  high 
priest  answered  and  said  unto  Him,  1  adjure  Thee  by  the  living  God. 
that  Thou  tell  us  whether  Thou  be  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God.  Jesus 
saith  unto  him,  Thou  hast  said  :  nevertheless  I  say  unto  you,  Here- 
after shall  ye  see  the  Son  of  man  sitiing  on  the  right,  hand  of  power, 
and  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven.  Then  the  high  priest  rent  his 
clothes,  saying,  He  hath  spoken  blasphemy  ;  what  further  need  have 
we  of  witnesses?  behold,  now  ye  have  heard  His  blasphemy.  What 
think  ye?  They  answered  and  said,  He  is  guilty  of  death.  Then  did 
they  spit  in  His  face,  and  buffeted  Him  ;  and  others  smote  Him  with 
the  palms  of  their  hands,  saying,  Prophesy  unto  us,  Thou  Christ, 
Who  is  he  that  smote  Thee  ? 

^%^Pe  have  heard  how  our  Lord  Jesus  was  be- 
S§Js^trayecl  by  Judas  in  the  garden  and  taken  by 
the  Jews.  Now  we  come  to  notice  how  He  was 
brought  before  Caiaphas,  the  high  priest,  under 
such  charges  as  to  lead  to  the  unanimous  decision 
that  there  was  sufficient  cause  for  delivering  Him 
to  Pilate  and  aiming  at  His  life. 

In  describing  these  tilings  so  carefully  it  was  not 
the  only  object  of  the  Evangelists  to  teach  us  the 
holy  innocence  of  our  Lord  Jesus.  That  He  was 
wholl}r  pure  and  altogether  without  sin  we  must 
conclude  from  the  known  fact  that  He  was  the  Son 


7()  FOURTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

of  God,  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  born  of 
the  Virgin  Mary.  But,  since  the  Church  and  the 
Gospel  must  receive  the  same  treatment  in  the 
world  which  the  Lord  Jesus  received,  the  history 
of  Christ's  wrongs  is  given  us  especially  to  the  end 
that  we  may  not  be  offended  when  similar  wrongs 
are  inflicted  upon  us  also,  but  that  we  may  always 
refer  to  it  for  consolation  and  learn  to  be  patient. 
For  if  God's  Son,  our  Master  and  our  Head,  was 
falsely  accused,  delivered  to  Pilate  by  the  high 
priests,  scribes  and  elders,  and  surrendered  to  the 
Gentiles  to  be  crucified,  is  it  to  be  wondered  at  if 
we  receive  similar  treatment  ?  The  servant  is  not 
to  be  more  successful  than  his  master.  Therefore, 
we  should  rejoice  when  our  experience  is  such  that 
we  can  truthfully  boast:  This  was  the  experience 
of  my  Lord  Jesus  also.  For  if  we  are  like  Him  in 
suffering,  we  are  warranted  in  the  hope  of  being 
like  Him  in  glory  too;  yea,  and  even  before  the 
revelation  of  this  glory,  we  shall,  in  our  suffering, 
derive  from  Him  comfort,  aid,  deliverance.  This 
history,  which  shows  that  even  our  Lord  Jesus  was 
not  exempt  from  suffering,  serves,  therefore,  first,  to 
minister  unto  us  consolation,  that  we  may  become 
more  cheerful  and  more  patient  in  our  sufferings. 

And,  secondly,  it  offers  us  an  antidote  against 
the  common  offences  of  this  world.  For  every  one 
regards  the  titular  dignitaries,  called  chief  priests 
and  elders  of  the  people  here,  as  pious  men  and 
saints,  in  virtue  of  their  office,  station  and  pomp. 
And  so  to-day  the  Pope,  bishops,  monks  and  priests 
desire,  on  account  of  their  office,  to  be  looked  upon 
and  treated  as  the  most  eminent  members  of  the 
Christian  Church.  But  let  us  learn  here  not  to 
5* 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  <  { 

judge  men  by  the  office  they  hold,  else  we  shall  be 
deceived;  but  by  the  manner  in  which  they  act 
towards  Christ — by  the  relation  which  their  heart, 
their  will,  sustains  towards  Him.  When,  by  this 
text,  we  find  good  or  evil  in  them,  we  must  judge 
them  accordingly;  for  then  our  judgement  shall 
always  be  just.  The  office  is,  without  a  doubt,  a 
holy  and  a  good  one ;  but  he  who  holds  it  may  be  a 
villain.  For  here  we  see  that  the  high  priests,  the 
scribes  and  the  elders,  who  are  the  rulers  and 
leaders  of  the  people  in  spiritual  things  and  in 
things  temporal,  are  the  very  ones  who  cannot 
tolerate  the  Lord  Jesus  and  who,  by  dint  of  unre- 
mitting persecution  and  manifold  intrigues,  finally 
bring:  Him  to  the  cross.  We  must  confess  that 
they  are  God's  worst  enemies  and  also,  as  Luke 
testifies  in  the  5.  chapter  of  Acts,  Epicureans,  who 
in  those  days  said  that  there  is  no  resurrection 
from  the  dead,  neither  angel  nor  spirit.  If  we 
would,  therefore,  know7  to  a  certainty  whether 
Pope,  bishops,  and  the  like,  are  pious  or  not,  we 
must  not  be  misled  by  their  office;  but  need  merely 
see  how  they  conduct  themselves  towards  the  Gospel 
and  the  true  doctrine,  when  we  shall  find  that  all  of 
them  are  disciples  of  Judas,  and  that  their  hearts 
are  disposed  towards  the  Gospel  as  were  those  of 
the  high  priests  towards  Christ.  These  are  the 
very  fruits  by  which  we  may  know  the  false  proph- 
ets, the  wolves,  even  when  they  come  in  sheep's 
clothing  and  have  the  appearance  of  devout  and 
harmless  persons. 

We  shall  now  take  up  the  trial  of  our  Lord,  and 
see  with  what  hatred,  malignity,  craft,  and  virulence 
they  treat  Christ. 


78  FOURTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

The  Evangelist  John  mentions  that  the  Jews  led 
the  Lord  Jesus  first  to  Annas,  who,  according  to 
Acts  4.,  was  also  a  high  priest,  but  not  in  that  year, 
and  who  was  the  father-in-law  to  Caiaphas,  who 
officiated  at  the  time.  But  Annas  soon  gave  Him 
over  to  his  son-in-law,  Caiaphas,  who  was  the  high 
priest  that  same  year ;  for  with  him  the  chief  priests 
and  elders  were  already  assembled. 

Here  we  see,  in  the  first  place,  how  inequitably 
the  high  priests  deal  with  the  Lord  Jesus ;  for  they 
are  at  the  same  time  both  plaintiff  and  judge.  The 
Lord  could,  therefore,  not  receive  justice,  let  His 
cause  have  been  ever  so  good,  and  let  Him  have 
said  and  done  what  He  would.  Such  a  way  of  pro- 
ceeding would  be  very  dishonorable  in  a  worldly 
law-suit,  in  which  the  same  person  is  forbidden  to 
act  as  plaintiff  and  judge  by  a  special  law.  But 
nothing  is  sinful  for  these  holy  ones ;  they  have  all 
power ;  they  can  do  as  they  please,  and  think  they 
have  the  right  to  do  so!  Woe  to  him  who  con- 
strues their  actions  ill,  tells  them  they  are  in  the 
wrong,  or  admonishes  them ! 

Just  so  our  spiritless  tyrants,  Pope,  cardinals  and 
bishops  conduct  themselves.  The  Pope  has  for 
many  successive  years  been  causing  us  Germans  to 
gape  in  expectation  of  a  Council,  at  which,  as  he 
lias  been  pretending,  he  would  abolish,  the  dissen- 
sion existing  in  religious  matters.  And,  on  our 
part,  many  serious  efforts  have  been  made  at  many 
an  imperial  diet,  and  on  other  occasions,  to  secure  a 
free,  Christian  Council,  at  which  to  end  the  present 
disunion  by  means  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  But  it 
is  the  manifest  desire  of  the  Pope  to  treat  us  and 
the  Gospel  as  the  Jews  here  treated  Christ.     He  is 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  71> 

a  party  ia  the  case;  accusation  is  brought  against 
the  blasphemous  dogmas  and  counterfeit  cultus 
which  he  has  insinuated  into  the  Church,  in  spite 
of  God's  Word,  and  upon  which  he  still  insists ; 
what  should  he,  as  the  defendant,  do  ?  If  he  him- 
self is  to  be  the  judge,  he  will  not  declare  himself 
in  the  wrong  and  decide  in  favor  of  his  opponent, 
the  plaintiff.  But  upon  such  a  course  as  this  the 
Pope  and  his  parasites — these  honorable  men ! — 
strenuously  insist.  Yea  and  more,  when  a  Coun- 
cil is  held  he  takes  public  part  in  it,  while  we, 
previously  condemned  by  him,  obtain  neither  vote 
nor  seat.  This  is  a  wanton,  unjust  and  grievous 
procedure. 

But  here  we  have  the  proof  that  the  world  does 
not  desire  and  is  not  able  to  deal  otherwise  with 
Christ.  We  should,  therefore,  be  resigned,  and, 
with  the  Lord  Jesus,  bear  such  injustice  until  the 
appointed  time ;  for  what  else  can  we  do  ?  Caia- 
phas,  who,  as  judge,  sat  in  the  judgment  seat,  him- 
self accuses  the  Lord  Jesus  and  then  even  decides 
against  Him.  This  is  the  first  act  of  injustice  in 
the  trial  before  the  priests. 

Another  atrocious  feature  of  this  trial  we  tind  in 
their  absolutely  demanding  the  death  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  while  they  cannot  find  sufficient  cause  for 
this,  but  must  call  to  their  assistance  falsehood  and 
false  witnesses,  until  finally  Caiaphas,  the  judge, 
himself  arises  and  brings  forth  an  accusation 
possessing  some  semblance  of  foundation.  Among 
other  false  testimony  submitted,  was  that  of  "two 
false  witnesses,"  who  came  "and  said :  This  fellow 
said,  I  am  able  to  destroy  the  temple  of  God,  and 
to  build  it  in  three  days." 


80  FOURTH  PASSIOX-SERMOX. 

The  correct  history  of  this  latter  charge  we  find 
in  the  2.  chapter  of  John.  When  our  Lord  Jesus, 
in  Jerusalem,  at  the  first  passover  after  His  baptism, 
had  with  a  scourge  driven  out  of  the  temple  the 
changers  of  money  and  the  merchants,  together 
with  their  oxen,  sheep,  doves,  and  whatever  else 
they  had,  and  poured  out  the  changers'  money,  and 
overthrown  the  tables,  the  Jews  gathered  together 
and  said :  Thou  venturest  to  exercise  special  vio- 
lence here;  hast  Thou  authority  to  do  this?  What 
sign  shewest  Thou  unto  us,  seeing  that  Thou  doest 
these  things?  Then  the  Lord  answered  them  thus: 
"Destroy  this  temple,  and  in  three  days  I  will  raise 
it  up."  By  this  He  meant  to  say  the  same  as  by 
the  sign  of  the  Prophet  Jonah,  Matt.  12.,  namely 
this :  You  desire  a  sign  and  shall  have  it.  You 
shall  kill  me ;  but  on  the  third  day  I  will  raise  my- 
self from  the  dead.  He  for  whom  such  sign  does 
not  suffice  is  past  all  help.     This  is  the  narrative. 

But  see,  how  wantonly  they  pervert  His  words ! 
He  says:  "Destroy  this  temple;"  and  then  they 
charge  Him  with  having  said  :  "I  am  able  to  destroy 
the  temple,"  thus  to  make  Him  appear  guilty  ot 
having  spoken  against  the  temple  of  God.  And 
even  if  we  accept  the  Jews'  interpretation  of  Christ's 
words,  admitting  that  they  were  spoken  with  refer- 
ence to  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  would  a  man  be 
guilty  of  death  on  account  of  using  such  words? 
In  short,  he  who  would  make  charges  against 
Christ,  must  first  become  a  base  liar ;  our  Papists 
also  are  a  living  proof  of  this.  What  they  cry  out 
against  the  Gospel  is  bare  falsehood.  The}'  are 
dead  to  every  sense  of  shame,  daub  their  notions 
into  other  men's  books  and  belie  us,  saying  that  the 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  81 

holy  sacrament  receives  scandalous  treatment  at 
our  hands,  that  we  throw  against  the  wall  what 
remains  of  the  cup,  and  that  we  tramp  with  our 
feet  what  is  left  of  the  consecrated  bread.  Are 
these  not  gross,  palpable  lies  ?  Why,  common 
bread  and  wine  is  not  treated  so,  but  is  preserved. 
How  much  more  would  we  then  not  keep  decently 
that,  of  which  we  confess  and  teach,  in  opposition 
to  the  Sacramentarians,  that  it  is  not  mere  bread 
and  not  mere  wine,  but  the  true  body  and  blood  ol 
Christ,  given  for  us  upon  the  cross  and  shed  for  our 
sins!  But  we  need  not  wonder  at  the  Papists'  lies. 
He  who  deals  in  falsehoods  can  speak  no  truth,  and 
he  who  acts  contrary  to  truth  cannot  help  himself 
except  with  lies.  On  this  principle  the  world,  as 
we  here  see,  dealt  with  Christ,  and  will  continue  so 
to  deal  with  the  Christians  and  the  Holy  Gospel ; 
for  it  cannot  do  otherwise. 

But  when  their  witness  agreed  not  together  and 
was  powerless  in  itself,  Caiaphas,  the  judge  or  high 
priest,  rushed  to  the  rescue,  and,  according  to  John, 
asked  Jesus  of  His  disciples,  and  of  His  doctrine,  as 
though  he  would  say:  What  is  this  new  doctrine 
Thou  bringest?  Art  Thou  dissatisfied  with  Moses? 
Must  Thou  have  something  extra  ?  Art  Thou  alone 
wise  and  are  all  we  fools?  Where  are  they  now 
who  regarded  Thy  doctrine  right  and  divine?  It 
may  be  such  a  good  doctrine  that  we  too  would  be 
pleased  with  it  and  receive  it.  But  it  is  merely  the 
rabble,  which  knows  nothing  about  the  law,  that 
Thou  attachest  to  thyself;  the  honest  and  upright 
desire  not  thy  preaching.  To  such  question  the 
Lord  answered :  "I  ever  taught  in  the  synagogue, 
and  in  the  temple,  whither  the  Jews  always  resort; 


82  FOURTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

and  in  secret  have  I  said  nothing.  Why  askest 
thou  me  ?  ask  them  which  heard  me,  what  I  have 
said  unto  them;  behold,  they  know  what  I  said." 
The  Lord  does  not  desire  His  doctrine  to  be  despised, 
and  says  that  He  had  not  feared  the  light,  but  had 
preached  it  openly  to  the  world,  that  it  should, 
therefore,  not  be  reviled  as  a  thing  done  in  a  corner. 

When  He  had  thus  spoken,  a  scoundrel  standing 
by  dealt  the  Lord  a  severe  blow  with  the  palm  of 
his  hand,  as  though  it  were  intolerable  that  the 
high  priest  should  be  thus  answered  and  not  more 
reverently  treated.  Even  to-day  we  see  such  priests' 
slaves,  who  are  ready  to  defend  with  the  sword  the 
sacrilegious  doctrines  and  shameful,  sodomitical 
life  of  the  Pope  and  his  shaved  and  shorn  train. 
And  then  we  also  find  those  vain  prattlers,  jesters, 
mountebanks,  and  the  like,  who  would  serve  them 
faithfully,  and  whose  only  object  in  blaspheming 
and  reviling  the  holy  Gospel  is,  to  receive  the  favor 
of  their  bishops  and  of  the  idol  at  Rome.  This  we 
must  suffer,  indeed,  as  Christ  also  suffered  it,  but 
dare  not  connive  at  it,  nor  forbear  rebuking  and 
publishing  such  vice.  We  must  do  as  Christ  here 
does  :  He  addresses  the  servant,  and  tells  him  that 
he  had  smitten  Him  unjustly,  but  does  nothing 
further. 

When  they  now  found  themselves  without  any 
cause  of  action,  Caiaphas,  the  high  priest,  comes  to 
the  main  point,  saying:  "I  adjure  Thee  by  the  liv- 
ing God,  that  Thou  tell  us  whether  Thou  be  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God."  Knave  Caiaphas  thinks 
thus  to  hit  the  nail  on  the  head,  and  to  seize  the 
Lord  Jesus  by  the  throat.  Observe  here,  first  of 
all,  that  it  is  not  the  intention  of  Caiaphas  that  he 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  88 

or  the  rest  should  believe  in  the  Lord,  in  case  He 
should  say  that  He  is  the  Christ.  By  no  means! 
But  this  is  the  very  confession  they  desire  to  hear 
Him  make,  thinking  that  then  they  could  convict 
Him  without  difficulty.  And  Christ  understands 
them  well  enough ;  but  this  does  not  induce  Him 
to  deny  who  He  is.  He  answers  :  "Thou  hast  said," 
that  is,  just  as  thou  hast  said,  I  am  the  Christ  And 
what  is  still  more,  it  shall  only  be  a  little  while  yet 
and  ye  shall  "see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  on  the 
right  hand  of  power ;"  that  is,  after  these  days  I 
shall  not  need  to  sutler  any  more,  but,  in  my  glori- 
fied body,  shall  show  that  I  am  not  only  a  man,  as 
you  regard  me,  but  also  the  almighty  Son  of  God, 
who  rules  over  all,  and  on  the  judgment  day  I  shall 
come  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  and  judge  the  quick 
and  the  dead. 

Behold,  now  the  high  priest  has  heard  the  glori- 
ous, excellent  confession  which  tells  him  what  he 
should  believe  concerning  this  man,  whom  he  and 
others  had  prepared  themselves  to  entrap,  and 
whom  they  were  resolved  on  killing.  Let  us  see 
what  use  the  high  priest  makes  of  this  confession. 
Matthew  tells  us  that  he  "rent  his  clothes,  saying, 
He  hath  spoken  blasphemy;  what  further  need 
have  we  of  witnesses?  Behold,  now  ye  have  heard 
His  blasphemy.     What  think  ye?" 

In  this,  the  first  trial  of  our  blessed  Lord  Jesus, 
which  took  place  in  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  He  was 
declared  a  heretic  and  blasphemer.  This  gluts  the 
high  priestly  maw;  and  now  it  only  remains  to 
have  some  worldly  accusation  brought  against 
Christ  before  Pilate,  so  that  His  death  might  be 
decreed.     While  each  one  privately  deliberates  on 


84  FOURTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

this,  our  innocent  Lord  Jesus  is  made  to  submit  to 
their  scorn;  He  must  suffer  them  to  spit  in  His 
holy  face,  and  Himself  to  be  buffeted,  derided, 
smitten  and  mocked.  For  they  regard  such  treat- 
ment altogether  just,  because  Christ  has  been  pro- 
nounced a  heretic  and  blasphemer.  They  make  a 
jest  of  His  saying  that  He  is  the  Christ.  One  strikes 
Him  on  this  side,  another  on  that.  "Aha!  You 
are  the  Christ,  are  you,"  they  say,  "then,  pray, 
prophesy  unto  us,  who  is  he  that  smote  Thee  ?" 

But  let  us  diligently  mark  whether  the  Gospel 
does  not  fare  in  the  same  way  to-day.  The  Papists 
question  us,  and  desire  to  know  our  doctrine.  And 
then,  when  we  with  the  greatest  simplicity  and 
honesty  confess  our  doctrine,  as  was  done  at  Augs- 
burg, at  Eatisbon,  and  at  imperial  diets  in  other 
places,  the  mighty  clamor  rises  :  Heretics,  heretics  ! 
All  are  busy  then  at  heaping  upon  the  poor  Chris- 
tians whatever  ignominy,  contempt,  mockery  and 
injury  they  can  rally.  They  cry  :  It  is  Evangelical 
you  are,  is  it?  Is  this  your  Gospel  ?  Just  wait,  we 
will  give  you  a  little  of  the  Gospel  ?  And  so  they 
have  gone  to  work  and  inflicted  a  most  atrocious 
reproduction  of  the  Passion-History  upon  the  pious 
Christians  of  Germany,  Italy,  France  and  England. 

It  is,  therefore,  important  that  we  carefully  study 
this  priestly  Processum  Juris.  For  then,  in  case 
we  are  brought  before  a  similar  tribunal,  we  can 
follow  the  example  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  learning  of 
Him  patience,  and  deriving  from  Him  true  consola- 
tion. And,  should  we  be  compelled  to  suffer  with 
Him  for  the  sake  of  His  "Word,  we  can  hope  also  to 
live  with  Him,  and  with  Him  to  be  lifted  to  glory. 
May  God  grant  this  to  us  all.     Amen. 


FIFTH  PASSION-SERMON". 

Peter  Thrice  Denies  the  Lord  Jesus  in  the 
House  of  Caiaphas. 

Matt.  26,  69-75.  Now  Peter  sat  without  in  the  palace :  and  a 
damsel  came  unto  him,  saying,  Thou  also  wast  with  Jesus  of  Galilee. 
But  he  denied  before  them  all,  saying,  I  know  not  what  thou  sayest. 
And  when  he  was  gone  out  into  the  porch,  another  maid  saw  him, 
and  said  unto  them  that  were  there,  This  fellow  was  also  with  Jesus 
of  Nazareth.  And  again  he  denied  with  an  oath,  I  do  not  know  the 
man.  And  after  a  while  came  unto  him  they  that  stood  by,  and  said 
to  Peter,  Surely  thou  also  art  one  of  them  ;  for  thy  speech  bewrayeth 
thee.  Then  began  he  to  curse  and  to  swear,  saying,  I  know  not  the 
man.  And  immediately  the  cock  crew.  And  Peter  remembered  the 
word  of  Jesus,  which  said  unto  him,  Before  the  cock  crow,  thou  shalt 
deny  me  thrice.     And  he  went  out,  and  wept  bitterly. 

%his  is  a  useful  narrative,  for  which  reason  it 
is  related  by  each  of  the  four  Evangelists. 
It  is  useful  chiefly  in  two  respects.  First,  it  teaches 
us  to  cherish  humility  and  avoid  presumption ;  for 
see  how  easily  Peter,  who  would  previously  have 
gladly  imperiled  his  body  and  his  life  for  the  Lord 
Jesus,  is  brought  to  such  a  terrible  fall.  And 
secondly,  it  teaches  us  how  we  may  regain  grace, 
after  we  have  fallen  into  sin ;  for  Peter  furnishes  us 
with  a  pleasing  example  of  Christian  repentance, 
showing  what  repentance  really  is,  and  how  we 
must  be  freed  from  sin.  But  let  us  first  relate  the 
history. 

When  Jesus  was  taken  captive  in  the  garden  and 
led  away,  first  to  Annas,  father-in-law  to  Caiaphas, 
and  from  Annas  to  the  high  priest  Caiaphas,  John, 
as  he  himself  writes,  followed  from  afar  and  entered 


86  FIFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

the  house  of  Caiaphas,  in  which  he  was  acquainted, 
bringing  Peter  in  with  him.  The  latter  sat  down 
with  the  servants  in  the  house  and  warmed  himself 
at  the  fire.  Then  a  damsel  asked  him  whether  he 
was  a  disciple  of  the  captive  Jesus.  He  vehemently 
denied  that  he  was.  The  cock  then  crew  for  the 
first  time.  Upon  this,  as  Matthew  and  Mark  relate, 
Peter  went  away  from  the  fire,  out  into  the  porch, 
where  he  was  encountered  in  a  similar  way  by  a 
maid,  who  began  to  say  to  them  that  stood  by, 
This  is  one  of  them.  Luke  tells  us  that  it  was  a 
man  who  said  this  of  Peter.  It  needs  merely  be 
remembered  here  that,  after  the  maid  had  begun  to 
speak  about  Peter,  the  rest  also  expressed  their 
opinions  and  chimed  in  with  the  maid.  Peter  then 
a  second  time  denied.  And  finally,  about  the  space 
of  one  hour  after,  as  we  are  informed  by  Luke,  he 
was  met  by  one  of  the  servants  of  the  high  priest, 
who,  according  to  John,  was  a  kinsman  to  him 
whose  ear  Peter  cut  off.  He  attacks  Peter  a  little 
more  severely  than  the  rest,  publicly  saying  that  he 
had  seen  him  in  the  garden  with  Jesus.  Peter 
would  not  keep  silent  to  this  accusation,  for  he 
feared  that  it  would  endanger  his  life.  Then  began 
he  to  curse  and  to  swear,  saying,  I  know  not  the 
man,  of  whom  ye  speak.  ]STow  the  Lord  turns  and 
casts  upon  Peter  a  look  which  so  penetrates  his 
soul,  that  he  now  perceives  what  he  has  done ;  and 
he  goes  out  of  Caiaphas'  palace  and  weeps  bitterly. 
This  is  about  the  whole  of  ^the  occurrence  in  order, 
as  related  by  the  four  Evangelists. 

Here  we  should,  in  the  first  place,  as  stated  in  the 
beginning,  learn  from  the  example  of  pious  Peter  to 
recognize  our   weakness,   so  that   we  may  refrain 


SERMONS  OX  THE  GOSPELS.  87 

from  putting  absolute  confidence  in  other  people  or 
in  ourselves.  For  our  hearts  are  so  entirely  faint 
and  fickle  that  they  change  every  hour,  as  the  Lord 
says  in  the  2.  chapter  of  John.  Who  in  the  world 
would  have  expected  such  instability  and  feebleness 
in  Peter!  When  the  Lord,  Luke  22.,  cautioned 
him,  saying,  Satan  hath  desired  to  have  you,  that 
he  may  sift  you  as  wheat,  how  courageous  was  he 
not,  how  bold  and  undismayed  !  "Lord,"  said  he, 
UI  am  ready  to  go  with  Thee,  both  into  prison,  and 
to  death."  And  when  the  Lord  continued  to  ad- 
monish him,  telling  him  not  to  be  so  foolhardy, 
and  that  before  the  cock  would  crow  twice  he  should 
have  denied  Him  thrice,  we  see  that  Peter  thought 
it  all  a  fable.  He  imagined  this  impossible,  and 
intended  to  adhere  to  and  defend  the  Lord  at  the 
risk  of  his  own  life.  And  his  actions,  indeed,  show 
this  to  have  been  his  intention.  For  in  the  hour  of 
greatest  peril,  when  the  Jews  were  taking  captive 
the  Lord  in  the  garden,  Peter  was  the  first  to  draw 
his  sword,  and  he  slashed  into  the  mob,  notwith- 
standing that  he  and  only  one  other  armed  person 
opposed  so  many  who  were  well  equipped,  ^ow 
who  would  have  believed  that  one  so  valiant,  *who 
so  faithfully  stands  by  his  Master,  would  so  soon 
afterwards  shamefully  betray  Him?  In  the  garden 
no  one  attempted  to  hurt  Peter  and  his  fellow  disci- 
ples, for  the  Lord's  "Let  these  go"  protected  them. 
And  especially  here  in  the  house  of  Caiaphas  no 
one  desires  to  injure  them.  But  when,  altogether 
incidentally,  and  perhaps  through  sympathy,  the 
damsel  that  kept  the  door  said  unto  Peter :  "Art 
not  thou  also  one  of  this  man's  disciples?"  his 
courage  failed  him,  and  he  feared  that  he  would 


88  FIFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

Lave  to  share  his  Master's  fate  if  he  should  answer 
yes,  and,  therefore,  he  denies  that  he  is  a  disciple. 
And  when  he  was  accosted  on  this  point  the  second 
time  and  the  third,  he  began  to  curse  and  to  swear, 
calling  upon  God  to  visit  upon  him  His  wrath  if  he 
had  ever  known  or  seen  the  man. 

Let  us  pay  due  attention  to  the  conduct  of  Peter, 
so  that  we  may  learn  properly  to  know  ourselves 
and  other  people,  and  to  beware  of  presumptuous- 
ness.  For  if  such  a  denial  of  faith  can  proceed 
from  Peter,  who,  above  all  the  other  disciples,  had 
a  heart  tilled  with  loyalty  and  love  for  the  Lord 
Jesus,  yea,  who  was  so  enlightened  by  the  grace  of 
God  that  even  Christ  said  unto  him :  "Blessed  art 
thou,  Simon,  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed 
it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven," 
and  that  He  gave  to  him  the  name  Cephas,  "a 
stone,"  how  much  more  easily  can  not  such  denial 
come  from  us  poor  mortals,  who  are  much  inferior 
to  Peter  in  point  of  gifts,  and,  in  all  other  respects, 
much  more  faint  and  frail?  Be  on  thy  guard, 
therefore ;  be  not  irreverently  bold ;  think  not  that 
thou  hast  climbed  the  mountain  and  art  out  of 
danger ;  remember  that  thy  flesh  is  totally  corrupt ! 
Neither  doth  Satan  slumber,  but  walketh  about  as 
a  roaring  lion,  seeking  whose  heart  he  may  trouble, 
and  whom  he  may  cast  down  or  even  devour. 
Therefore,  be  vigilant ;  live  in  the  fear  of  God  ; 
build  upon  His  grace  alone,  and  in  Him  repose  thy 
trust  and  confidence!  And  let  that  which  Jesus 
spake  in  the  garden  to  Peter,  James  and  John, 
"  Watch  and  pray,  that  ye  enter  not  into  tempta- 
tion," be  spoken  also  unto  thee,  that  thou  mayest 
neither  snore  nor  be  falsely  secure,  as  though  there 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  80 

were  no  danger  and  no  need  for  fear  from  hence- 
forth, but  that  thou  mayest  watch  and  be  sober,  not 
doubting  that  thy  arch-enemy  is  close  at  hand,  yea, 
that  thou  bearest  him  in  thy  bosom !  Thou  wouldst, 
therefore,  be  lost,  should  God  not  stand  by  thee 
with  His  Holy  Spirit.  Thou  canst  neither  govern 
nor  restrain  thyself  one  single  hour.  Therefore, 
say :  I  will  pray  God  to  give  me  His  Holy  Spirit, 
that  He  may  rule  and  rightly  lead  me,  and  either 
ward  off  disturbance  and  temptation,  or  else  gra- 
ciously succor  me  and  suffer  me  not  to  fall !  This 
is  the  first  point  presented  by  our  narrative.  Under 
this  head,  however,  appropriately  comes  the  solemn 
admonition  of  the  Lord,  given  in  the  21.  chapter  of 
Luke :  "Take  heed  to  yourselves,  lest  at  auy  time 
your  hearts  be  overcharged  with  surfeiting,  and 
drunkenness ;"  for  we  are  just  as  ill-bred  as  the 
brute,  which,  when  well  fed,  shows  its  insolence. 
He  who  has  plenty  and  to  spare,  readily  forgets 
God  and  His  Word,  or  else  cares  very  little  for 
them ;  and  then,  before  he  knows  it,  he  is  entan- 
gled in  the  devil's  net.  Therefore,  wouldst  thou  be 
out  of  danger,  observe  these  three  things :  fear  God, 
be  watchful  and  sober,  and  pray  without  ceasing! 
For,  although  we  must  still  feel  temptation's  thrusts, 
and  sometimes  fall  because  of  weakness,  God, 
through  His  Holy  Spirit,  will  lift  us  up  again,  and 
not  suffer  us  to  remain  victims  of  temptation. 

In  the  second  place,  we  find  consolation  in  this 
narrative.  Here  we  clearly  see  the  fruit  of  our 
Lord  Jesus'  sufferings;  and  Peter's  conduct  plainly 
pictures  to  us  not  only  the  grace  and  mercy  of  God, 
but  also  the  way  in  which  grace  may  be  regained 
by  us  when  lost  in  unrighteousness  and  sin.     Terri- 


<)0  JETFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

ble  and  heinous  is  the  fall  of  Peter;  as  such  he 
feels  it  most  forcibly,  and,  therefore,  he  cannot 
longer  bear  to  mingle  with  men,  but  steals  away 
and  weops  bitterly. 

But  here  we  find  that  the  Lord  not  only  foretold 
to  him  his  fall,  but  afterwards  also  received  him 
into  favor  without  punishing  him  as  his  sin  had 
deserved.  For  on  Easter,  before  the  Lord  Jesus 
had  shown  Himself,  the  angel  who  was  at  the  grave 
commanded  the  women  to  announce  to  His  disci- 
ples, and  to  Peter  especially,  that  the  Lord  had 
risen.  And  the  Lord  Himself,  soon  after  He  had 
appeared  to  Magdalene  and  the  other  women, 
appeared  to  Peter  and  comforted  him.  This  all 
works  together  for  our  consolation,  teaching  us  not 
to  banish  from  our  hearts  confidence  in  God's  grace, 
though  we  may  have  fallen,  but,  seeing  how  the 
Lord  deals  with  Peter,  to  be  assured  that  He  has 
died  on  our  account,  and  that  His  sufferings  shall 
bring  us  consolation  and  assistance,  although  we 
are  poor  sinners.  For  if  sinners  are  not  to  have 
the  benefit  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  then  would 
He  have  rejected  His  disciples,  and  particularly 
Peter,  first  of  all,  and  nevermore  have  interested 
Himself  for  them,  because  they  were  all  offended 
because  of  Him,  fled  from  Him,  and  so  shamefully 
denied  Him.  But  the  merciful  Lord  does  not  so ; 
they  are  still  His  dear  disciples,  notwithstanding 
that  they  disgraced  their  calling.  Let  us  mark  this 
and  apply  it  to  our  hearts  for  consolation;  for  thus 
will  our  gracious  God  also  deal  with  us. 

But,  say  you,  what  becomes  of  poor  Judas?  Do 
we  not  see  him  cut  off  from  all  grace?     Although 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  91 

we  shall  come  to  speak  of  this  hereafter,  it  is  still 
necessary  for  us,  in  this  connection,  to  know  what 
it  was  that  furthered  and  preserved  Peter,  and  what 
it  was  that  subjected  Judas  to  impediments  and 
despair,  so  that  Peter's  case  may  teach  us  how  to 
take  care  of  ourselves  and  how  to  beware  of  that 
which  befell  Judas.  Now  we  must  make  a  distinc- 
tion between  Peter  and  Judas  with  reference  to  the 
heinousness  of  their  crimes.  For,  while  both  trans- 
gress the  will  of  God  and  subject  themselves  to 
everlasting  condemnation,  Judas'  sin  is  greater  than 
that  of  Peter.  Judas  surrenders  to  sin  voluntarily 
and  with  premeditation,  and,  notwithstanding  the 
Lord's  frequent  and  fervent  warnings,  prefers  his 
sins  above  Christ's  love.  This  is  not  the  case  with 
Peter;  his  sin  was  accidental,  not  deliberate  and 
malicious;  his  denial  of  Christ  was  the  result  of 
casual  diffidence  or  weakness.  Had  he  apprehended 
this  result,  he  would  not  have  entered  the  house  of 
Caiaphas.  Then,  there  is  this  further  distinction 
between  Peter  and  Judas,  that  the  former,  unlike 
the  latter,  is  not  the  enemy  of  Christ  and  does  not 
hate  Him;  that  he  does  not  run  counter  to  the 
Lord,  like  the  latter,  with  such  wanton  scorn, 
hatred  and  obstinacy  that  no  exhortation  to  peni- 
tence and  no  favor  of  the  Lord  can  influence  him 
to  repent;  but  that,  before  he  considers  and  per- 
ceives what  he  is  doing,  through  fear  and  weakness 
he  is  so  overcome  that  he  denies  his  dear  Lord  and 
begins  to  curse  and  to  swear. 

Let  us  mark  well  the  aforenamed  distinction  in 
regard  to  sins,  viz.:  that,  although  both  Peter  and 
Judas  do  sin,  and  thus  subject  themselves  to  the 
judgment  of  God,  the  sin  of  Judas  is  more  enormous 


92  FIFTH  PASSION-SEKMON. 

than  the  sin  of  Peter.  For  the  Lord  subsequently 
makes  the  difference  between  Pilate  and  the  Jews, 
saying,  Juo.  19.,  "He  that  hath  delivered  me  unto 
thee  hath  the  greater  sin."  This  is  the  reason  why 
the  conscience  of  Judas  is  more  painfully  wounded 
than  Peter's,  and  his  sufferings  are  more  severe; 
the  burden  borne  by  Judas  is  by  far  the  heavier  and 
the  more  oppressive.  Nevertheless,  Peter's  sin  had 
deserved  death,  as  well  as  that  of  Judas. 

This  distinction  is  justified  also  by  St.  Paul,  who 
says  of  his  persecuting  Christ  and  His  believers 
that  he  had  done  this  in  ignorance,  and  that, 
although  his  work  of  persecution  was  a  damnable, 
mortal  sin,  it  was  still  not  at  all  to  be  compared 
with  the  persecutions  carried  on  by  the  chief  priests 
and  Pharisees.  This  difference  deserves  to  be  dili- 
gently regarded,  so  that  we  may  beware  of  such 
wanton  and  malicious  sins  as  of  a  most  grievous 
burden,  and  therefore  watch  that  we  do  not  obsti- 
nately persevere  in  impenitence.  Now,  although 
sins  may  be  classified  according  to  the  degree  of 
their  criminality,  and  although  no  doubt  exists 
that  the  greater  the  sin,  the  greater  the  consequent 
torment  of  conscience;  still,  when  a  man  has  ob- 
tained knowledge  of  his  sins  and  is  terrified  by  the 
wrath  of  God,  he  must  not  judge  the  measure  of 
forgiveness  and  grace  by  the  enormity  or  number 
of  his  sins.  All  sins,  even  the  least,  are  so  great 
and  serious  that  we  are  not  able  to  estimate  their* 
heinousness  ;  yea,  so  great  that  we  could  not  endure 
one  of  them,  were  it  adequately  seen  and  felt  by  us. 
Besides,  Satan  can  so  magnify  a  sin,  though  it  be 
not  the  greatest,  that  the  timid,  fearful  soul  which 
is  guilty  of  it  supposes  that  no  one  else  on  earth 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  93 

has  ever  committed  so  grievous  a  crime.  Therefore, 
we  must  know  and  hold  fast  the  Gospel  doctrine  ol 
the  grace  and  kindness  of  the  Son  of  God ;  for  this 
tells  us  that  grace  is  mightier  than  all  sin.  It  is 
the  great  object  of  God's  Word  and  promises  that 
no  one  may  despond  or  despair  on  account  of  sin 
but  that  all  may  trust  in  the  grace  of  God  through 
His  only  begotten  Son,  our  Lord  Jesus. 

On  this  point  Judas  and  Peter  differ.  Judas 
looks  only  at  the  enormity  of  his  sins,  falls  into 
despair,  thinks  that  all  eternity  can  afford  him 
neither  counsel  nor  aid,  and  then  the  poor  fellow 
goes  and  hangs  himself.  And  why?  Simply  be- 
cause he  had  despised  God's  Word  and  had  not 
been  bettered  by  it.  When  he  now  stood  in  need 
of  consolation,  but  did  not  have  the  Word  and 
desired  not  to  turn  to  the  Lord  Jesus  in  faith,  he 
was  beyond  all  reach  of  help.  Peter  also  wept 
bitterly,  and  feared  and  trembled  on  account  of  his 
sins,  but  he  had  more  diligently  heard  and  better 
remembered  the  Word  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  There- 
fore, when  he  now  finds  himself  in  distress,  he 
makes  use  of  the  Word,  thinks  of  that  which  Christ 
has  told  him,  clings  to  this,  consoles  himself  with 
it,  and  hopes  that  God  will  be  merciful  to  him.  In 
such  misery  this  is  the  true  relief,  which  poor  Judas 
lacked.  But  that  this  was  really  the  course  Peter 
took,  and  that  he  did  abide  by  God's  Word  and 
grace,  the  Lord  testifies  in  the  22.  chapter  of  Luke, 
saying:  "I  have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail 
not."  While  he  was  denying  Christ,  we  do  not  see 
that  there  was  a  spark  of  faith  in  his  heart;  but 
afterwards,  wrhen  his  conscience  was  aroused  and  he 
was  tortured  by  it,  his  faith  returned,  preserving  to 


(.)4  FIFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

him  this  Word  of  Christ,  and  preventing  him  from 
falling  into  despair. 

Let  us  then  learn  here  what  true  repentance  is. 
Peter  "wept  bitterly."  In  this  way  repentance 
begins ;  the  heart  must  truly  perceive  sin  and  be 
sincerely  sorry  for  it,  so  that  our  delight  in  it,  our 
love  for  it,  and  our  living  in  it  may  cease.  Our 
having  disobeyed  God's  will  and  sinned,  must  be 
for  us  a  source  of  heartfelt  affliction. 

Our  might,  however,  cannot  bring  this  about; 
but  the  Lord  calls  us  to  repent  and  makes  His  face 
to  shine  again  upon  us,  just  as  He  here  calls  and 
admonishes  Peter  by  the  crowing  of  the  cock,  of 
which  He  had  told  him  before,  and  by  turning  and 
looking  upon  him.  For  we  are  by  nature  so  dis- 
posed that  we  delight  in  sin  and  take  pleasure  in 
committing  it  continually.  We  see  this  in  the  case 
of  Peter ;  for,  after  he  had  denied  Christ  once,  he 
still  keeps  on  until  he  has  denied  Him  thrice,  and 
cursed  and  sworn :  "I  do  not  know  the  man," 
being  concerned  about  nothing.  But  when  the 
cock  crows  and  the  Lord  turns  to  look  upon  him, 
Peter  immediately  pauses  and  considers  what  he 
has  done.  !N~ow,  according  to  our  nature  and  to 
the  nature  of  sin,  sin  cannot  help  but  terrify  us, 
threaten  us  with  God's  wrath,  and  fill  our  hearts 
with  anguish,  as  was  the  case  with  both  Peter  and 
Judas.  Judas,  when  he  perceived  his  sin,  became 
so  uneasy  that  he  did  not  know  what  to  do  with 
himself.  And  Peter's  agony  was  so  great  that  it 
compelled  him  to  flee  from  his  fellow-men  and  give 
vent  to  his  grief  in  tears,  of  which  he  could  not 
shed  enough. 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  95 

"Wheu  we  feel  such  terror  and  anguish  our  best 
course  is,  first,  to  humble  ourselves  before  God  and 
freely  confess  our  sins :  0  God,  I  am  indeed  a  poor, 
miserable  sinner,  and,  shouldst  Thou  depart  from 
me  with  Thy  grace,  am  able  only  to  sin  ;  and  then, 
to  abide  God's  Word  and  promises,  adding :  "But 
be  merciful  to  me  for  the  sake  of  Thy  Son,  Jesus 
Christ !"  When  the  soul  thus  seeks  to  console 
itself  with  God's  Word,  and  sincerely  trusts  that 
God,  for  His  Son's  sake,  will  be  merciful,  then 
must  the  anguish  abate  and  comfort  surely  follow. 
True  and  complete  repentance,  then,  is  this  :  to  be 
terrified  and  humbled  by  sin,  and  to  find  comfort 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  and  His  sufferings  through  faith. 

Thus,  no  doubt,  Peter  consoled  himself  with  the 
word  spoken  to  him  by  the  Lord  at  the  passover : 
"Satan  hath  desired  to  have  you,  but  I  have  prayed 
for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not,"  Luke  22.  For, 
although  his  heart  was  filled  with  anxiety  and  sor- 
row, he  did  not  despair  like  Judas.  True,  at  first 
this  consolation  was  as  small  as  a  grain  of  mustard- 
seed.  But  since  the  ground,  on  which  this  little 
consolation  rested,  was  God's  own  Word  and  prom- 
ises, it  increased  wonderfully,  and  when  Peter  met 
Christ  again,  on  holy  Easter-day,  it  had  grown  so 
great  that  all  terrors  and  all  doubts  had  fled,  and 
nothing  remained  except  heart-felt  humility,  with 
which  to  confess  his  weakness  and  cheerfully  to 
acknowledge  himself  a  sinner.  Sin  was  not  able  to 
leave  aught  in  Peter's  heart  except  this  weakness 
and  this  confession.  This  consolation,  like  a  mighty 
deluge,  suffocated,  yea,  quenched  the  fire  that  had 
threatened  to  consume  his  heart.  Since,  therefore, 
we  cannot  live  without  temptation,  we  should  pre- 


06  FIFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

pare  for  it  in  time,  and  especially  with  diligence 
hear  God's  Word,  and  practice  and  remember  it,  so 
that  consolation,  like  Peter's,  may  be  ours  in  time 
of  sorrow. 

Thus  we  find  that  this  example  of  St.  Peter  is 
given  us  for  instruction  and  for  consolation.  We 
should  learn  from  it,  first,  to  flee  false  security  and 
to  live  in  the  fear  of  God;  for  it  is  an  easy  matter 
even  for  great  saints  terribly  to  fall.  But,  secondly, 
we  must  also  learn  from  this  example  to  cling  to 
God's  Word,  and  to  draw  comfort  from  it,  even 
when  we  have  fallen,  so  that  we  may  not,  like 
Judas,  despair  on  account  of  sin.  For  God  does 
not  wish  any  one  to  exalt  himself  on  account  of  his 
endowments,  for  which  reason  we  all  should  fear, 
watch  and  pray ;  neither  does  He,  on  the  other 
hand,  wish  any  one  to  be  driven  into  despair  by  his 
sins.  The  Son  of  God  became  man  and  died  upon 
the  cross  for  the  very  purpose  of  banishing  such 
evils.  Therefore,  if  thou  wouldst  be  a  true  Chris- 
tian, fear  God  and  confide  in  His  grace  and  Word, 
and  thou  shalt  always  find  consolation,  deliverance 
and  help.  May  our  dear  Father  in  Heaven,  through 
His  Holy  Spirit,  grant  this  to  us  all,  for  the  sake  of 
our  blessed  Lord  and  Saviour.     Amen. 


SIXTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

Christ  is  Delivered  to  Pilate. — Judas  Hangs  Him- 
self.— The  Potter's  Field. 

Matt.  27,  1-10  When  the  morning  was  come,  all  the  chief  priests 
and  elders  of  the  people  took  counsel  against  Jesus  to  put  Him  to 
death  :  and  when  they  had  bound  Him.  they  led  Him  away,  and 
delivered  Him  to  Pontius  Pilate  the  governor.  Then  Judas,  which 
had  betrayed  Him.  when  he  saw  that  He  was  condemned,  repented 
himself,  and  brought  again  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  to  the  chief 
priests  and  elders,  saying,  I  have  sinned  in  that  I  have  betrayed  the 
innocent  blood.  And  they  said,  What  is  that  to  us?  see  thou  to  that. 
And  he  cast  down  the  pieces  of  silver  in  the  temple,  and  departed, 
and  went  and  hanged  himself.  And  the  chief  priests  took  the  silver 
pieces,  and  said,  It  is  not  lawful  for  to  put  them  into  the  treasury, 
because  it  is  the  price  of  blood.  And  they  took  counsel,  aDd  bought 
with  them  the  potter's  field,  to  bury  strangers  in.  Wherefore  that 
field  was  called,  The  field  of  blood,  unto  thii,  day.  Then  was  fulfilled 
that  which  was  spoken  by  Jeremy  the  prophet,  saying,  And  they  took 
the  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  the  price  of  Him  that  was  valued,  whom 
they  of  the  children  of  Israel  did  value ;  and  gave  them  for  the  pot- 
ter's field,  as  the  Lord  appointed  me. 

I<^j|f~|  ou  have  heard,  my  friends,  how  the  Lord 
'llisl  Jesus  was  first  led  to  Annas,  who  then  sent 
Him  bound  to  Caiaphas,  where  the  chief  priests 
and  scribes  were  assembled,  and  where  these  latter 
and  the  entire  council  sought  false  witness  against 
Him,  and  finally  falsely  accused  Him  of  blasphemy, 
for  which,  they  said,  He  ought  to  die.  We  expect 
to  speak  further  on  this  hereafter. 

Next  we  find  Him  brought  before  Pilate;  we 
shall  see  what  happened  there.  But  before  we 
speak  of  this,  we  ought  to  know  what  was,  after  all, 
the  reason  why  the  chief  spiritual  and  temporal 
rulers  at  Jerusalem  were  so  hio-hly   incensed  and 


98  SIXTH  PASSION- SERMON. 

imbittered  against  the  Lord  that  they  flock  together 
by  night,  make  inquisition  concerning  Him  at  an 
unseasonable  hour,  and  are  in  such  uneasy  haste  to 
have  Him  destroyed,  at  the  same  time  being  unable 
to  allege  aught  against  Him  except  invented  lies. 
It  would  be  too  lengthy,  however,  to  relate  all  this 
now  ;  eacli  one  can  read  it  for  himself  in  the  history 
written  by  the  four  Evangelists,  or  learn  it  during 
the  year  from  the  preaching  of  the  Word  at  Church. 
The  Lord  Jesus  excuses  neither  the  doctrine  nor 
the  life  of  these  men,  but  censures  both  severely. 
Thus  He  calls  them  "an  evil  and  adulterous  genera- 
tion," a  "generation  of  vipers,"  and  not  the  children 
of  God,  which  they  boast  themselves  to  be,  but  "the 
children  of  the  devil,"  because  they  can  neither 
speak,  teach,  nor  do  that  which  is  good.  And 
shortly  previous  to  this  time,  before  He  was  taken, 
He  gave  them  a  final  rebuke,  calling  down  upon 
them,  Matt.  23.,  the  eight  times  uttered  "woe !" 
And  this  it  was  that  enkindled  their  hatred  into 
such  consuming  flames,  that  lent  cruelty  to  their 
enmity,  and  that  made  them  so  impetuous  in  the 
pursuit  of  their  object,  that  Christ,  being  now  in 
their  power,  had  no  opportunity  to  escape.  Still, 
in  order  to  give  their  savage,  murderous  hatred  a 
plausible  appearance,  that  is,  to  make  it  seem  that 
their  law  fully  authorized  them  to  kill  Christ,  the 
high  priest,  as  the  Evangelists  write,  when  he  heard 
Christ  say :  "Hereafter  shall  ye  see  the  Son  of  man 
sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  power,  and  coming  in 
the  clouds  of  heaven,"  rent  his  clothes  and  said : 
"He  hath  spoken  blasphemy ;  wrhat  further  need 
have  wTe  of  witnesses  ?  behold,  now  ye  have  heard 
His  blasphemy.     What  think  ye?"     And  all  the 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  99 

others  who  were  present  said:  "He  is  guilty  of 
death."  Soon  after  this  they  began  to  treat  the 
dear  Lord  Jesus  most  miserably,  not  one  among 
them  having  compassion  on  Him,  but  all  of  them 
enraged  against  Him  like  raving  lions.  The  22. 
and  other  Psalms  tell  us  about  this. 

One  thing,  however,  was  still  in  their  way.  They 
knew  very  well  that  Pilate  would  care  very  little 
for  that  which  they  deemed  sufficient  cause  for 
death ;  for  He  was  a  Gentile  and  had  not  received 
command  of  the  Roman  Emperor  to  execute  the 
Jews  because  of  their  faith, — else  he  would  have 
had  to  destroy  all  of  them.  For  this  reason  they 
assembled  when  the  morning  was  come,  and,  as 
Matthew  writes,  "took  counsel  against  Jesus  to  put 
Him  to  death,"  that  is,  they  considered  what  accusa- 
tion they  would  bring  against  Him  before  Pilate. 
For  they  knew  well  enough  that  Pilate  would  not 
slay  Christ  on  account  of  His  having  blasphemed  in 
the  judgment  of  the  Jews.  They  found  it  necessary, 
therefore,  to  devise  some  specious,  civil  charge  to 
be  presented  to  Pilate,  who  was  a  temporal  judge. 
For,  by  saying  that  Christ  was  a  blasphemer,  they 
could  not  have  broken  His  neck. 

Let  us  here  see  and  learn  how  quick  and  venom- 
ous Satan  is  when  men  stand  in  need  of  advice  how 
to  kill  Christ !  The  first  word  spoken  by  Pilate  to 
Christ  is  his  question  :  "Art  Thou  the  king  of  the 
Jews?"  This  question  clearly  shows  that,  in  this 
consultation  of  the  Jews,  they  had  agreed,  as  stated, 
to  accuse  the  Lord  Jesus  before  Pilate  of  desiring  to 
excite  sedition  and  to  set  Himself  up  for  the  king 
of  the  Jews.  But  what  ground  have  they  for  such 
a  charge  ?     Where  has  Christ  ever  called  Himself  a 


100  SIXTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

king?  Where  has  He  attempted  to  pass  Himself 
off  as  a  lord  ?  If  they  had  been  willing  they  might, 
on  the  other  hand,  have  testified  how  He  refused, 
departed  and  hid  Himself,  when  the  people  at- 
tempted to  take  Him  by  force  to  make  Him  a  king. 
They  might  have  told  too  that  He  had  commanded 
them  not  to  keep  back  from  Caesar  that  which  be- 
longed to  him,  but  to  render  to  him  his  due.  ISTow, 
wTe  must  also  consider  that  Pilate  could  hardly  have 
been  satisfied  with  bare^  accusations,  but  must  cer- 
tainly have  demanded  proofs.  And  how  were  these 
furnished  ?  No  doubt,  as  follows.  They  had  heard 
Christ  confess  to  the  chief  priest  that  He  was  the 
Christ.  Then  they  took  the  evidence  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, showing  from  the  Prophets  how  Christ  should 
be  a  king.  For  Zechariah  says  :  "Behold  thy  King 
cometh  unto  thee;  He  is  just  and  having  salvation, 
<fcc. ;"  and  Hosea,  in  his  3.  chapter,  "They  shall 
seek  David  their  king ;"  and  many  other  passages 
express  the  same.  Therefore,  since  the  Lord 
acknowledges  Himself  to  be  the  Christ,  He  thereby 
acknowledges  Himself  to  be  also  the  king  of  the 
Jews.  Behold,  how  accurate  the  researches  of  the 
devil ! 

But  concerning  that  which  goes  against  them 
and  might  serve  the  Lord  Jesus,  they  are  silent. 
Where  Zechariah  says :  "Behold  thy  King  cometh 
unto  thee;  He  is  just,  and  having  salvation,"  he 
immediately  adds,  "lowly,"  that  is,  He  shall  be  a 
spiritual  King,  who  shall  justify  His  own  that 
believe  in  Him,  and  deliver  them  from  death  and 
all  evil,  that  they  might  have  consolation  through 
Him  against  sin  and  God's  wrath, — not  a  temporal 
king  having  business  with  money  and  possessions. 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  101 

He  implies  that  God  has  ordained  other  kings  who 
should  control  nations  and  individuals  and  possess 
opulence  and  power;  but  that  these  kings  should 
not  impart  righteousness  and  salvation,  which  gifts 
are  brought  and  bestowed  alone  by  this  King,  of 
whom  the  Prophet  says,  "Behold  thy  King  cometh,', 
&c.  These  villains  do  not  mention  a  syllable  of 
this,  but  the  naked  idea  that  Christ  had  made  Him- 
self the  king  of  the  Jews  is  what  they  dress  up  for 
Pilate's  sight.  Thus  Pilate,  who  would  not  have 
assisted  them  had  their  charge  not  exceeded  what 
it  was  at  first,  viz.,  heresy  and  blasphemy,  was 
beguiled  into  participating  in  their  work. 

Just  so  it  goes  to-day  ;  for  civil  governments,  at 
any  rate,  usually  have  the  fault  that  they  care  very 
little  for  the  kiugdom  of  God  and  for  religion. 
When  kings  and  princes  enjoy  allegiance,  tribute 
and  royal  glory,  they  are  careless  about  everything 
else,  and  thus  are  satisfied  that  Pilate's  throne 
should  be  the  only  one  before  which  Christ  appears. 
But  the  chief  priests  and  elders  of  the  people,  i.  e., 
the  blood-thirsty  mob  composed  of  Pope,  cardinal, 
bishops,  monks  and  priests,  come  and  accuse  Christ 
before  Pilate ;  they  instigate  the  temporal  author- 
ities, such  as  emperors,  kings  an'cl  princes  against 
the  Gospel,  as  the  Jews  incited  Pilate  against  Christ, 
saying  that  it  teaches  insurrection  and  that,  unless 
its  influence  is  checked  in  time,  every  subject  will 
become  a  rebel.  They  urge  the  authorities  to 
oppose  the  Gospel  with  zeal,  if  they  would  not 
have  prosperity  and  happiness  to  forsake  their 
scepter.  Yea,  these  bloody,  papal  asses  preach  to 
the  princes  that  it  is  the  Gospel's  fault  that  the 
Turk  assails  us  and  that  we  are  not  more  successful 


102  SIXTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

in  repelling  him, — that  the  Gospel  must  be  blamed 
for  the  great  failures  in  our  crops  and  for  our  being 
surrounded  by  misfortunes.  By  this  means  they 
arouse  Pilate,  who  otherwise  is  not  at  all  concerned 
about  Christ  and  His  preaching,  to  expose  the 
Lord,  and  finally  to  command  Him  to  be  nailed  to 
the  cross. 

Now,  it  cannot  be  helped  that  such  falsehoods 
and  virulent  slander  bring  about  painful  results. 
But  for  this  very  reason  have  the  Evangelists  left 
us  this  history,  so  that,  when  like  things  come  upon 
us,  we  may  patiently  bear  them,  saying,  My  Lord 
Jesus  had  to  suffer  the  same.  The  servant  is  not 
better  than  his  lord.  Pilate  would  have  permitted 
Christ  to  preach  and-  perform  miracles  all  His  life, 
and  would  never  have  thought  of  interfering ;  but 
the  high  priests,  the  heartless  horde,  bring  it  to 
pass  that  Pilate  as  judge  and  Christ  as  criminal  are 
brought  together. 

And  so  it  is  still;  the  Lord  Jesus'  greatest  enemies 
are  Pope,  cardinal,  bishops,  monks  and  priests. 
When  they  have  branded  as  heresy  that  which  does 
not  please  them,  or  that  which  opposes  them,  they 
seek  to  hunt  down  the  Gospel  through  worldly 
potentates ;  these  latter  must  be  their  executioners 
and  must,  like  Pilate,  bedaub  themselves  with  inno- 
cent blood,  on  the  accusation  and  at  the  solicitation 
of  these  enemies.  Pious  Christian,  bear  it  all ! 
With  thy  Lord  Jesus  too  they  sported  thus. 
Therefore,  give  thanks  to  God  that  thou  art  counted 
worthy  to  suffer  for  His  name,  as  Luke  tells  us,  in 
the  5.  chapter  of  Acts,  that  the  Apostles  did !  So 
much  for  the  first  part  of  our  text. 


SERMONS  OX  THE  GOSPELS.  10.*? 

The  second  part  relates  the  terrible  example  of 
Judas.  This  the  Evangelists  so  diligently  portray 
that  we  may,  as  in  a  picture,  recognize  the  peculiar 
character  and  nature  of  sin,  and  learn  to  shun  it. 
For  in  Judas'  case  we  see  both  how  silently  sin  at 
first  creeps  in,  but  also  how  it  afterwards  causes 
such  a  horrible  end. 

We  have  heard,  on  a  former  occasion,  what  a 
seemingly  small  beginning  this  monstrous  sin  of 
Judas  had,  viz.,  that  it  began  with  his  natural 
avarice  and  love  of  money.  But  its  real  fountain- 
head  we  find  in  Judas'  being  such  a  godless  hpyo- 
crite  and  such  a  wicked,  desperate  despiser  of  God. 
Thus,  when  the  opportunity  to  make  money  out  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  presented  itself,  he  regarded  it  a 
trifling  matter  to  betray  his  innocent  Lord  and 
Master.  Besides,  he  thinks  it  quite  a  prize  that  he 
can  so  soon  possess  himself  of  such  an  amount  of 
money.  At  the  Last  Supper  the  Lord  admonishes 
Judas  so  pointedly  and  so  often,  that  he  could  not 
have  misunderstood  Him.  But  let  the  Lord  preach 
to  him  and  warn  him  ever  so  faithfully,  it  is  all  in 
vain;  Judas  does  not  lose  sight  of  his  object;  his 
heart  is  riveted  to  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver ! 
"What  a  faithful,  stern  and  earnest  warning  was  not 
that  which  the  Lord  Jesus  gave  him,  saying :  k'He 
that  dippeth  his  hand  with  me  in  the  dish,  the  same 
shall  betray  me ;"  again:  "The  Son  of  man  goeth 
as  it  is  written  of  Him ;  but  woe  unto  that  man  by 
whom  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed !  It  had  been 
good  for  that  man  if  he  had  not  been  born !" 
Should  not  Judas  have  taken  these  words  to  heart  ? 
Should  he  not  have  repented,  saying :  Great  God, 
what  have  I  not  Buffered  the  devil  to  put  into  my 


104  SIXTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

soul,  miserable  fellow  that  I  am !  But  he  does 
nothing  of  the  kind ;  on  the  contrary,  when  he  is 
so  faithfully  warned,  he  even  asks  whether  his  in- 
tentions are  known.  He  puts  the  question  :  "Mas- 
ter, is  it  I?"  The  Lord  answers  him:  "Thou  hast 
said,"  i.  e.,  yes,  thou  art  he.  But  this  matter,  as 
already  said,  gave  him  no  care  nor  trouble,  because 
it  was  the  means  by  which  he  could  obtain  so  much 
money. 

This  should  be  remembered ;  for  if  we  wish  a 
correct  picture  of  sin  it  must  be  painted  as  seeming 
at  first  sight  an  indifferent,  simple  thing,  which  is 
not  at  all  dangerous.  In  committing  sin  men  do 
not  concern  themselves  about  God's  wrath ;  they 
fear  no  misfortune  and  they  regard  sin  not  as  a 
burden,  but  as  a  little  feather  which  a  breath  can 
balance  in  the  air  or  drive  away.  Therefore,  when 
sin  assails  us  we  do  not  fear  it;  yea,  we  rejoice  in  it 
and  love  it,  and  we  even  think  that  the  more  we 
can  sin  in  doing  our  work,  the  better  our  work 
shall  be  done.  Suppose  we  illustrate  this  by  the 
case  of  an  avaricious  usurer,  an  adulterer  or  a 
drunkard.  Upon  such  Paul  passes  an  appalling 
judgment,  when  he  says,  1  Cor.  6:  "Be  not  deceived; 
neither  fornicators,  nor  idolaters,  nor  adulterers, 
nor  covetous,  nor  drunkards  shall  inherit  the  king- 
dom of  God."  This  terrible  decree  is  written  here,, 
is  preached  too,  and  the  very  ones  who  are  subject 
to  such  vices  get  to  hear  it ;  but  they  accept  it  no 
more  than  Judas  accepted  it.  Could  they  only 
dispose  of  their  property  so  as  to  make  it  yield  them 
twenty  or  thirty  per  cent ;  could  only  their  evil 
desires  be  satisfied ;  could  they  only  have  gay  com- 
panions every  clay   and  be  jolly  and  drunk  every 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  105 

night, — then  would  they  think  themselves  very 
fortunate  and,  neither  caring  for  nor  grieving  over 
the  judgment  pronounced  upon  them,  be  in  good 
spirits  and  perfectly  merry. 

This  is  spoken  for  the  common  people  who 
grossly  tread  in  Judas'  footsteps.  But  exceedingly 
dreadful  it  is  that  to-day  the  Pope  and  his  minions 
persecute  and  condemn  God's  Word,  the  acknowl- 
edged truth,  invent  many  base  and  blasphemous 
lies  against  this  Word,  and  induce  worldly  potent- 
ates to  use  their  power  against  it  and  to  exterminate 
the  truth  of  God  and  all  who  hold  it,  so  that  Judasr 
trade  may  be  made  to  flourish  as  formerly.  And 
then  they  are  so  utterly  blind  and  obdurate  that 
their  conscience  does  not  trouble  them,  and  that, 
they  think  it  would  be  an  excellent  thing  to  over- 
flow this  land  with  blood.  What  blindness, — what 
diabolical  enmity  against  Christ's  Word  and  the 
true  Church  !     But  more  of  this  hereafter. 

Adam  preached  the  same  thing  to  Cain,  his  son, 
and  warned  him  against  sin,  when  he  perceived 
what  hatred  there  was  in  his  heart  toward  his 
brother  Abel.  He  says  to  him,  Gen.  4 :  "If  thou 
doest  well,  shalt  thou  not  be  accepted  ?  and  if  thou 
doest  not  well,  sin  lieth  at  the  door."  By  this  he 
meant  to  say :  Make  thyself  well  acquainted  with 
sin;  for  when  it  attacks  a  man  it  always  is  as  a 
wild,  rapacious  beast,  which  pretends  to  be  asleep 
and  lets  men  handle  and  stroke  it;  no  one  fears 
and  no  one  is  hurt.  Even  as  innocent  as  this  does 
sin  seem.  It  is  a  smooth,  pretty  kitten,  which  per- 
mits itself  to  be  played  with  and  caressed.  But  be 
careful,  saith  Adam;  it  sleeps,  indeed,  but  will  not 


106  SIXTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

sleep  forever.  Why  not?  Because  it  "lieth  at  the 
door,"  in  a  public  place,  where  every  one  comes 
and  goes;  nothing  easier,  therefore,  than  that  it 
should  awake.  And  then  it  will  be  a  furious  lion, 
an  angry  bear,  tearing  to  pieces  and  destroying  all 
in  its  way.  Now,  as  Adam  had  foretold  to  Cain, 
so  it  came.  Adam  commanded  him  to  conquer  sin, 
and  not  let  sin  rule  and  lead  him.  But  Cain  gave 
no  heed;  he  let  sin  have  its  own  way;  he  slew  his 
brother.  Sin  did  not  rest  long  here;  its  sleep  was 
soon  over,  and  then  it  tortured  Cain  until  he  did 
not  know  where  to  stay.  He  dared  not  remain  with 
his  father  and  mother,  and  besides,  had  fears  for  his 
body  and  his  life. 

Let  us  mark  well  this  second  characteristic  of 
sin  !  At  first  it  sleeps  and  seems  a  trifling,  harmless 
thing.  But  it  sleeps  not  long,  and  when  it  awakes 
it  becomes  a  grievous  burden  which  we  cannot  bear 
without  God's  special  help.  This  we  see  in  the 
case  of  the  traitor  Judas.  While  sin  rested,  it  was 
impossible  for  him  to  fear;  the  glossy  fur  deceived 
him  so,  that  he  did  not  perceive  the  sharp,  poison- 
ous claws.  But  its  rest  could  not  last  a  great  while, 
for  it  lay  at  the  door  where  it  could  be  easily  waked. 
Where  all  pleading  and  all  admonition  failed  before, 
now  a  single  moment  comes  and  drives  such  terror 
to  his  soul  that  he  knows  not  what  to  do.  For 
when  he  sees  the  Lord  led  to  Pilate  he  fears  that 
the  Lord's  life  is  imperiled,  is  sorry,  and  now  per- 
ceives, for  the  first  time,  what  he  has  done.  Now 
sin  awakes  and,  according  to  its  natural  way,  acts 
with  such  fury  and  horror  that  he  cannot  bear  it, 
Before,  he  so  loved  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  that, 
for  the  sake  of  having  them,  Jie  could  betray  and 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  107 

sell  the  Lord  Jesus  without  a  pang ;  now,  the  mat^ 
ter  stands  reversed.  If  he  now  had  the  money  and 
wealth  of  all  the  world,  he  would  give  it  all  to  save 
the  Lord  Jesus'  life.  Since  it  was  love  of  money 
that  made  him  so  miserable,  and  his  purpose  to 
possess  it  that  brought  this  sin  upon  him,  he  now 
hates  money  so,  that  he  has  neither  rest  nor  peace 
in  its  possession,  but  runs  after  the  high  priests 
into  the  temple,  confesses  that  he  has  done  wrong, 
and  offers  to  give  them  back  the  money  if  the}7  will 
only  liberate  Jesus.  And  when  the  chief  priests 
will  not  do  this,  to  get  rid  of  the  money  at  all 
events  he  casts  it  down  at  their  feet.  Now,  this  is 
the  peculiar  character  of  sin ;  when  it  awakes  it  so 
violently  attacks  conscience  and  preaches  a  sermon 
of  such  horrors  that  the  frightened  heart  knows  not 
what  to  do  and  what  not  to  do.  And  sin  inflicts 
the  further  calamity,  that,  as  little  as  is  the  consola- 
tion which  the  poor  creature  finds  in  himself,  so 
little  too  is  the  comfort  he  derives  from  others. 
Judas  honestly  tells  the  chief  priests  his  troubles. 
Alas,  he  says,  "I  have  sinned, — I  have  betrayed  the 
innocent  blood  !"  But  how  do  they  console  him  ? 
"What  is  that  to  us?'  see  thou  to  that,"  they  tell 
him.  They  shove  everything  over  to  the  shoulders 
of  Judas,  and  let  the  intolerable  load  lie  there, 
unwilling  in  the  least  to  help  the  poor,  frightened 
soul  with  words  of  consolation  or  of  counsel. 

Now  follows  the  third  and  last  calamity.  For 
when  it  so  happens  that  sin  persists  in  castigating 
conscience,  the  devil  does  not  loiter,  but  pokes  and 
blows  the  fire  until  the  red  flames  rage  within,  and 
all  attempts  at  rescue  seem  vain.  In  such  fear 
and  agony  Judas  is  urged  on  by  Satan   until  he 


108  SIXTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

goes  out  quickly,  and  in  his  misery  bangs  himself. 
Xow,  this  is  the  end  which  Satan  from  the  begin- 
ning sought  to  bring  about  by  sin.  He  who  could, 
at  the  beginning,  consider  and  credit  this  end, 
would  surely  pray  and  guard  against  it.  But  it  is 
hidden;  sin  is  very  quiet,  and  does  not  disclose  in 
the  start  what  its  final  object  is.  So  much  for  the 
history  of  poor,  unhappy  Judas,  who  for  a  trifle 
sold  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  who  not  only  did  not  enjoy 
this  money,  but  also  lost  on  its  account  body,  life, 
soul  and  salvation. 

Therefore,  study  well  this  example,  and  let  its 
memory  nevermore  depart;  for  it  is  to  help  me  and 
you  and  all  of  us  to  an  accurate  knowledge  of  sin, 
and  to  serve  us  as  a  shield  against  it.  If  we  do  not 
mark  this  example  and  learn  from  it  to  know  sin, 
we  are  liable  to  be  deceived  by  sin  and  are  exposed 
to  the  damage  which  it  does.  For,  in  the  first 
place,  it  is  the  nature  of  sin  so  to  flatter  and  please 
the  old  Adam  that  he  delights  in  it  and  loves  it; 
but  this  lasts  only  until  sin  awakes.  Then,  in  the 
second  place,  follow  trouble,  toil,  fear,  danger,  ter- 
rors, tremblings,  despair  and,  finally,  eternal  death. 
Let  us  recognize  these  two  features  of  sin  from  the 
case  of  Judas,  and  not  suffer  ourselves  to  be  deluded 
like  the  world,  which  accepts  neither  instruction 
nor  reproof,  being  deceived  by  sin's  beautiful,  fair 
and  cheerful  countenance !  Many  a  citizen,  peasant 
and  nobleman  knows  how  to  make  an  easy  living. 
If  he  has  anything  for  sale,  he  tries  to  get  the 
highest  price.  When  he  buys,  he  tries  to  buy  as 
cheap  as  possible.  He  is  not  content  with  what  his 
houses  have  brought  him  hitherto,  but  raises  the 
rent.     And  When  he  disposes  of  money,  wheat  or 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  109 

other  commodities,  he  has  an  e}Te  to  his  hest  in- 
terests. Such  a  course  soothes  and  pleases  our 
Adam's  nature.  Every  one  thinks  his.  shrewdness 
to  have  "been  admirable  when  he,  by  some  means  or 
other,  has  obtained  and  laid  by  in  one  year,  say  one, 
two  or  three  hundred  dollars,  according  to  the 
nature  of  his  business.  Hence  we  see  every  one 
pursuing  his  daily  bread,  and  this  with  all  manner 
of  haste. 

This  is  the  very  sin  of  which  Judas  was  guilty  in 
the  beginning  of  his  career.  The  world  to-day 
does  just  as  Judas  did;  it  does  not  fear  this  sin  and 
thinks  there  is.  no  danger  in  it.  But  why  ?  Simply 
because  sin  rests  and  sleeps  and  rarely  shows  its 
nature  in  the  start.  Sin  paints  and  adorns  itself;  it 
puts  on  the  mask  of  beauty  and  of  youth ;  in  this 
way  it  hides  its  hideousness.  But  if  we  could  at 
once  unmask  it  and  wash  off  its  paint  with  strong 
lye,  we  would  run  away  from  it  as  from  the  devil, 
^"o  one  would  consent  to  extortion  and  addict  him- 
self to  avarice,  if  he  knew  what  the  consequence 
will  be  when  sin  begins  to  rack  the  conscience  and 
when  remorse  comes.  For  the  numerous  examples 
which  we  have,  prove  that  people  who  pursue  only 
money  and  possessions,  cannot  in  the  last  hour 
abandon  their  accustomed  course  of  thought.  In 
that  hour  their  hearts  are  closed  to  all  consolation 
from  God's  Word,  for  their  thoughts  are  even  then 
rambling  through  the  counting-room,  the  market 
and  the  warehouse,  and  engaged  with  this  or  that 
debt  not  yet  collected.  In  short,  thorns  have  so 
enclosed  them  that  they  cannot  flee ;  or  else  their 
consciences  are  so  molested  as  to  make  them  totally 
unfit  for  taking  comfort. 


110  SIXTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

What  has  been  said  applies  not  only  to  the  bag 
of  Judas,  i.  e.,  avarice,  but  to  all  sins.  For,  no 
matter  where  it  sleeps,  sin  finally  must  awake,  and 
it  always  then  creates  such  wretchedness  as  was 
that  of  Judas.  Still,  this  is  done  especially  in  the 
true  disciples  of  Judas,  who,  for  the  sake  of  money 
and  possessions,  oppose  the  Word  of  God,  persecute 
the  Gospel,  and  give  occasion  for  false  doctrine  and 
idolatry.  Such  disciples  are  the  Pope,  his  cardinals, 
bishops,  worthless  lords,  priests,  monks,  doctors 
and  the  like,  who  crowd  around  Judas'  bag  and 
fight  for  it.  IsTo  wonder,  for  this  bag  is  not  prickly 
and  thorny,  but  its  touch  is  very  soft  and  velvety  * 
in  other  words,  the  world  loudly  applauds  those 
who  have  succeeded  in  securing  sufficient  means  for 
living  at  ease  and  in  splendor.  Besides,  it  seems  a 
trifle  to  violate  the  Word  of  God  in  this  respect  or 
that,  thus  sinning  against  the  acknowledged  truth, 
and  to  act  contrary  to  one's  convictions;  yea,  it 
seems  an  easy  thing  for  the  prebendary  who  occu- 
pies the  cathedral,-  and  for  the  minister  who  moder- 
ates himself,  to  justify  their  unwillingness  to  speak 
the  truth  openly.  For  the  world  and  the  devil  pay 
big  wages  for  such  work.  But  when  sin  awakes, 
the  little,  black,  rabid  dog,  Remorse,  will  surely 
come,  and  touch  and  terrify  tlry  conscience  so,  that 
thou  shalt  find  consolation  nowhere,  and  thus  be 
hurled  into  despair  by  the  machinations  of  the  devil. 
Then  shalt  thou  have  received  the  same  reward  with 
Judas. 

It  were  well,  therefore,  to  consider  this  danger  in 
time,  to  forego  bishoprics,  canonries,  Epicureanism 
and  the  like,  to  resolve  to  be  a  Christian,  to  further 
and  confess  God's  Word,  and  to  walk  before  God 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  Ill 

with  a  clear  conscience.  Even  if  we  had  no  super- 
abundance of  bread,  God  would  still  give  us  our 
daily  bread  and  not  suffer  us  to  starve,  for  He  says : 
"Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  all  these 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you." 

The  following,  therefore,  is  what  this  history 
teaches.  Since  sin,  at  first,  is  quiet  and  sleeps,  but 
afterward  awakes  and  fills  conscience  with  all 
misery,  by  which  Satan  then  drives  his  victims  into 
despair,  we  should  beware  of  sin,  do  nothing  against 
our  better  knowledge  and,  besides,  ask  God  daily, 
yea,  every  moment,  for  His  Holy  Spirit,  that  He 
may  not  lead  us  into  temptation,  but  mercifully 
save  us  from  falling  and  shield  us  from  sin.  It  has 
already  been  stated  that  we  are  not  apprehensive  of 
the  evil  results  of  sin,  because  sin  is  not  awake  in 
the  beginning,  but  sleeps,  and  that  deception  and 
ruin,  therefore,  are  very  near  us.  For  this  reason 
we  ought  to  pray  without  ceasing,  and  be  very 
careful  everywhere,  so  that  sin  may  not  steal  upon 
us  unawares. 

But  when  the  fall  has  occurred  and  we  have  been 
deceived,  and  when  sin,  which  slept  at  first,  now 
awakes,  appears  to  us  and  upbraids  us,  we  must  be 
prepared  for  this  encounter,  and  from  the  example 
of  Judas  we  can  learn  how  to  be  prepared.  For 
how  clearly  do  we  not  see  what  was  the  matter 
with  Judas  !  Satan  converted  his  sin  into  a  mount- 
ain so  huge  and  lofty  that  it  shut  out  from  his  sight 
God,  together  with  His  Word,  His  promises  and  His 
mercy ;  hence,  he  simply  despairs.  Now,  when  we 
trace  this  confusion  back  to  its  origin,  can  we  deny 
that  Judas  could  have  consoled  himself  even  in 
such  great  distress,  had  he  not  set  at  naught  God's 


1.1.2  SIXTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

Word,  but  more  eagerly  studied  and  obeyed  it? 
Having  always  despised  and  neglected  the  Word,  is 
it  to  be  wondered  at  that  now,  when  he  stands  in 
need  of  its  comfort  and  aid  he  must  do  without  them? 
Therefore,  as  we  must,  on  the  one  hand,  guard  our- 
selves, with  godliness  and  constant  prayer,  against 
sleeping  sin,  so  that  we  may  not  be  deceived  and 
seduced ;  so  also,  on  the  other  hand,  when  sin 
a/wakes,  and  chastises  and  disturbs  us,  we  must 
defend  and  support  ourselves  with  the  Holy  Gospel. 
This  Gospel  shows  us  Christ  as  Him  who  suffered 
and  made  satisfaction  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world.  And  in  this  Gospel  we  find  that  God,  the 
Almighty  Creator  and  Father,  desires  not  the  death 
of  a  sinner ;  but  that  He  does  desire  the  sinner  to 
return  and  live,  that  is,  to  acknowledge  and  lament 
his  sins  and  to  hope  for  forgiveness  through  the 
Lord  Jesus.  But  Judas  had  not  these  Gospel  gifts ; 
hence  he  despaired. 

Again,  Peter  also  fell  shamefully,  and  experienced 
such  pangs  as  those  of  Judas.  Sin  slept  at  first ;  in 
other  words,  his  denying  Christ  did  not  seem  spe- 
cially dangerous  to  Peter ;  but  it  finally  awakes  and 
so  torments  his  heart  that  he  cannot  sufficiently 
bewail  his  fall,  or,  as  the  Evangelists  have  it,  "He 
went  out  and  wept  bitterly."  But  why  is  it  that 
Peter  does  not  hang  himself  like  Judas  ?  Simply 
because  Peter,  no  doubt,  remembered  the  Word  of 
the  Lord  Jesus;  this  saved  him.  He  must  have 
remembered  that  the  Lord  had  prophesied  to  him 
that  he  should  fall,  and  also  that  He  had  comforted 
him,  saying,  as  we  read  Luke  22.,  "Simon,  Simon, 
behold,  Satan  hath  desired  to  have  you,  that  he 
may  sift  you  as  wheat :  but  I  have  prayed  for  thee, 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  113 

that  thy  faith  fail  not:  and  when  thou  art  converted, 
strengthen  thy  brethren." 

This  sermon  Peter  heard  and  kept.  This  Word 
was  the  staff  that  supported  him;  sin  could  not 
now  crush  him  to  earth ;  had  it  been  otherwise,  sin 
would  have  done  with  him  as  it  did  with  Judas. 
God's  Word  saved  him.  0,  learn  this  well,  and 
thus  be  prepared  for  like  emergencies ;  hear  God's 
Word  frequently  ;  never  go  to  bed  and  never  rise 
from  sleep  without  repeating  one,  "two,  three  or 
four  of  its  beautiful  passages  ! 

Christ  says,  Matt.  9 :  "I  am  not  come  to  call  the 
righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance."  Matt.  11 : 
"Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke 
upon  you,  and  learn  of  me ;  for  I  am  meek  and 
lowly  in  heart:  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls. 
For  my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden  is  light." 
Jno.  3 :  "For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave 
His  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life. 
For  God  sent  not  His  Son  into  the  world  to  con- 
demn the  world;  but  that  the  world  through  Him 
might  be  saved.  He  that  believeth  on  Him  is  not 
condemned."  Again,  Jno.  3:  "The  Father  loveth 
the  Son,  and  hath  given  all  things  into  His  hand. 
He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life  : 
and  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life  : 
but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him."  Jno.  5  : 
"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  he  that  heareth  my 
word  and  believeth  on  Him  that  sent  me,  hath  ever- 
lasting life,  and  shall  not  come  into  condemnation, 
but  is  passed  from  death  unto  life."  Jno.  11 :  "I 
am  the  resurrection,  and  the  life:  he  that  balievett 


114  SIXTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

oti  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live." 
1  Jno.  2:  "If  any  man  sin,  we  have  an  advocate 
with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous :  and 
He  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins :  and  not  for 
ours  only,  hut  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world." 
If  we  daily  practice  such  and  similar  passages,  and 
by  practicing  familiarize  ourselves  with  them,  we 
then  possess  the  infallible  remedy  for  all  spiritual 
ailments.  But  unhappy  Judas  had  not  this  remedy 
at  hand. 

We  have  more  such  examples.  Dreadful  was 
the  fall  of  David  ;  his  was  a  more  heinous  sin  than 
were  the  sins  which  king  Saul  committed  in  the 
beginning  of  his  apostasy.  How,  then,  are  we  to 
account  for  it  that  Saul  cuts  his  throat,  while  David 
finds  deliverance?  Saul  had  not  God's  Word; 
therefore,  when  sin  raged  and  reproached  him,  he 
could  not  defend  himself;  for  he  had  nothing  on 
which  to  lay  hold.  Sin,  when  it  awaked,  reproached 
David  also,  and  with  such  severity  that  he  himself 
pronounced  his  judgment,  saying,  that  he  had 
deserved  to  die.  But  in  this  time  of  need  he  holds 
to  the  word  of  the  prophet  Nathan,  who  tells  him 
that  God  is  gracious,  and  that  He  will  not  impute 
to  him  his  sin.  Let  us,  then,  learn  well  this  second 
lesson  taught  us  here,  viz.,  not  only  to  shun  sin, 
but  also,  when  sin  awakes,  to  be  able  to  contend 
with  it  and  to  protect  ourselves.  But  during  our 
whole  life  we  must  prepare  for  such  distress,  equip- 
ping ourselves  with  the  Word  of  God,  else  we  shall 
have  no  aid  nor  counsel,  as  Judas'  case  shows 
plainly.  How  Judas  rejoiced  at  first  over  the  thirty 
pieces  of  silver !  They  were  in  his  sight  as  a 
meadow  mown,  for  sin  rested  not.     But  when  sin 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  115 

awoke,  these  thirty  pieces  of  silver  became  a  burden 
which  he  could  not  bear,  and  so,  to  relieve  his  con- 
science of  this  load,  he  hanged  himself.  All  he 
effected  by  this  means,  however,  was,  that  he  had 
to  bear  the  burden  in  eternity.  Of  such  an  end 
beware ;  do  not  let  sin  creep  in ;  live  in  the  fear  of 
God;  keep  conscience  clear,  and  attentively  hear 
God's  Word :  then  consolation  shall  be  thine  in 
need  of  every  kind ! 

The  Evangelists  further  relate  that  the  chief 
priests  took  counsel  about  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver. 
They  would  not  put  them  into  the  treasury,  but 
bought  with  them  the  potter's  field,  of  which  they 
made  a  burial-place  for  strangers.  The  prophecy, 
of  which  this  was  the  fulfillment,  does  not  appear 
remarkable.  However,  since  the  Evangelist  takes 
the  pains  to  quote  that  which  the  prophet  Zechariah 
had  predicted  long  before,  the  prophecy  cannot  be 
meaningless,  but  must  have  its  peculiar  significa- 
tion. The  following  is,  no  doubt,  its  proper  expla- 
nation. 

The  citizens  of  Jerusalem  had  their  cemeteries, 
while  strangers,  as  we  see  here,  had  none.  Now, 
in  the  true  Jerusalem,  the  Christian  Church,  we 
find  that  the  Jews,  according  to  the  147.  Psalm,  are 
God's  people :  "He  showeth  His  Word  unto  Jacob." 
But  to  us  Gentiles,  who  are  strangers,  the  kingdom 
of  God  does  not  belong;  for  the  same  Psalm  con- 
tinues to  sing :  "He  hath  not  dealt  so  with  any 
nation,"  &c.  But  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  for 
which  our  dear  Lord  Jesus  was  sold,  have  bought 
a  burial-place  for  us  pilgrims  too ;  that  is,  the  inno- 
cent sufferings  and  death  of  Christ  have  blessed  us 
Gentiles  also  with  the  hope  of  everlasting  life.     For 


116  SIXTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

the  Lord  had  to  bleed  and  die  in  consequence  of 
being  sold  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver.  Therefore, 
the  Evangelist  teaches  us  from  the  Prophets  that 
we  should  not  forget  for  whom  the  Lord  was  sold, 
for  whom  He  suffered,  and  for  whom  He  died.  It 
was  not  alone  for  His  people,  to  whom  He  had  been 
promised,  but  also  for  us  Gentiles,  who  before  had 
no  final  resting-place  in  the  true  Jerusalem.  Those 
thirty  pieces  of  silver,  which  Judas  received  for 
Christ,  have  bought  us  a  share  in  the  acre  of  our 
God.  ^ow  we  shall  be  laid  into  that  glorious 
grave,  bed-chamber  magnificent,  from  which  our 
Lord  Jesus  will  call  us  forth  on  the  judgment-day, 
when  He  shall  also  give  us  everlasting  joy.  May 
our  dear  Father  in  heaven  grant  us  this  through 
His  Holy  Spirit.    Amen. 


SEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON". 

Christ  Accused  before  Pilate  and  Condemned 
to  Death. 

Matt.  21,  11-31.  And  Jesus  stood  before  the  governor:  and  the 
governor  asked  Him,  saying,  Art  Thou  the  King  of  the  Jews?  And 
Jesus  said  unto  him,  Thou  sayest  And  when  He  was  accused  of  the 
chief  priests  and  elders,  He  answered  nothing.  Then  said  Pilate  unto 
Him,  Hearest  Thou  not  how  many  things  they  witness  against  Thee? 
And  He  answered  him  to  never  a  word  ;  insomuch  that  the  governor 
marvelled  greatly.  Now  at  that  feast  the  governor  was  wont  to 
release  unto  the  people  a  prisoner,  whom  they  would.  And  they  had 
then  a  notable  prisoner,  called  Barabbas.  Therefore  when  they  were 
gathered  together,  Pilate  said  unto  them,  Whom  will  ye  that  I  release 
unto  you?  Barabbas,  or  Jesus  which  is  called  Christ?  For  he  knew 
that  for  envy  they  had  delivered  Him.  When  he  was  set  down  on  the 
judgment  seat,  his  wife  sent  unto  him,  saying,  Have  thou  nothing  to 
do  with  that  just  man  :  for  I  have  suffered  many  things  this  day  in  a 
dream  because  of  Him.  But  the  chief  priests  and  elders  persuaded  the 
multitude  that  they  should  ask  Barabbas,  and  destroy  Jesus.  The 
governor  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Whether  of  the  twain  will  ye 
that  I  release  unto  you?  They  said,  Barabbas.  Pilate  saith  unto 
them,  What  shall  I  do  then  with  Jesus  which  is  called  Christ?  They 
all  say  unto  him,  Let  Him  be  crucified.  And  the  governor  said, 
Why,  what  evil  hath  He  done?  But  they  cried  out  the  more,  saying, 
Let  Him  be  crucified .  When  Pilate  saw  that  he  could  prevail  nothing, 
but  that  rather  a  tumult  was  made,  he  took  water,  and  washed  his 
hands  before  the  multitude,  saying,  I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this 
just  person  :  see  ye  to  it.  Then  answered  all  the  people,  and  said, 
His  blood  be  on  us,  and  on  our  children.  Then  released  he  Barabbas 
unto  them  :  and  when  he  had  scourged  Jesus,  he  delivered  Him  to  be 
crucified.  Then  the  soldiers  of  the  governor  took  Jesus  into  the  com- 
mon hall,  and  gathered  unto  Him  the  whole  band  of  soldiers.  And 
they  stripped  Him,  and  put  on  Him  a  scarlet  robe.  And  when  they 
had  platted  a  crown  of  thorns,  they  put  it  upon  His  head,  and  a  reed 
in  His  right  hand ;  and  they  bowed  the  knee  before  Him,  and  mocked 
Him,  saying,  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews  !  And  they  spit  upon  Him,  and 
took  the  reed,  and  smote  Him  on  the  head.  And  after  that  they  had 
mocked  Him,  they  took  the  robe  off  from  Him,  and  put  His  own  rai- 
ment on  Him,  and  led  Him  away  to  crucify  Him. 


118  SEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

Mn  a  recent  sermon  you  heard,  dear  friends,  how 
the  Lord  Jesus  was  tried  before  the  chief 
priest.  We  are  now  ready  to  learn  what  happened 
Him  after  He  was  delivered  to  Pilate.  Each  Evan- 
gelist has  his  own  way  of  relating  these  things  and 
does  not  go  into  all  the  details,  but  one  states  this, 
another  that,  for  which  reason  it  is  necessary  to 
compile  the  items  stated  by  each,  and  then  to  relate 
these  items  in  their  historical  order. 

The  first  item  is  furnished  by  the  Evangelist 
John,  who  says  that  when,  early  in  the  morning, 
they  led  Jesus  from  the  palace  of  Caiaphas  unto 
the  hall  of  judgment,  they  themselves  went  not  in, 
lest  they  should  be  defiled  and  become  disqualified 
to  eat  the  passover.  Since  they  were  required  to 
separate  themselves  from  those  as  unclean  who 
accidentally  entered  a  house  in  which  some  one 
had  died,  they  concluded  that  it  might  defile  them 
to  go  into  the  judgment  hall,  in  which  the  sentence 
of  death  was  pronounced.  It  did  not  occur  to  these 
blind  people  that  it  was  a  far  greater  sin  to  shed 
innocent  blood.  Such  holiness  prevails  among  our 
Papists  too,  who  think  that  eating  flesh  on  Friday 
or  eggs  in  the  passion- week  is  a  much  greater  sin 
than  to  persecute  and  strangle  poor  Christians  for 
the  Gospel's  sake.  They  go  about  the  latter  with 
hearts  as  light  as  though  it  were  a  trifle.  But 
about  the  former,  which  is  do  sin  at  all,  but  merely 
a  human  prohibition,  they  are  exceedingly  con- 
scientious. Since  these  holy  people  refuse  to  go 
into  the  hall  of  judgment,  Pilate  was  constrained  to 
go  out  to  them.  He  asked  them :  "What  accusa- 
tion bring  ye  against  this  man  ?"     Impudently  and 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  110 

with  arrogance  they  reply :  "If  He  were  not  a  male- 
factor, we  would  not  have  delivered  Him  up  unto 
thee."  Just  as  if  they  were  so  upright  and  pious 
that  we  should  not  suppose  them  capable  of  under- 
taking anything  wrong!  But  Pilate  meets  them 
nobly  when  he  says:  "Take  ye  Him,  and  judge 
Him  according  to  your  law."  This  was  as  much  as 
sayiug:  It  is  not  customary  with  us  Romans  to 
judge  a  man  without  first  trying  him;  but  if  you 
Jews  think  it  is  right  to  do  so,  why,  you  may  take 
and  kill  Him,  but  I  will  not.  Thus  we  clearly  see 
that  the  Jews,  after  they  had  taken  all  necessary 
counsel,  still  have  no  confidence  in  themselves ; 
they  fear  that  their  accusation  will  not  stand  the 
test.  Nevertheless,  they  are  unwilling  to  accept 
Pilate's  decision  without  a  reply,  for  it  stung  them 
to  the  quick,  and  therefore  they  answer  :  "It  is  not 
lawful  for  us  to  put  any  man  to  death."  This 
meant:  If  we  had  the  authority  to  do  this,  we 
should  not  have  called  on  you ;  but  the  Emperor 
has  taken  criminal  jurisdiction  away  from  us  and 
confided  it  to  you ;  therefore,  act  according  to  your 
office. 

John  adds  here :  "That  the  saying  of  Jesus  might 
be  fulfilled,  which  He  spake,  signifying  what  death 
He  should  die."  For,  as  we  read  Matthew  20.  and 
Luke  17.,  Christ  had  foretold  to  His  disciples  that 
He  should  be  delivered  to  the  Gentiles.  For  the 
sake,  however,  of  having  a  charge  to  make,  Ihey 
accused  Him,  as  Luke  writes,  in  these  words :  "We 
found  this  fellow  perverting  the  nation,  and  forbid- 
ding to  give  tribute  to  Caesar,  saying  that  He  Him- 
self is  Christ  a  king."  Here  we  hear  why  they 
delivered  Him  to  Pilate.     But  the   account   suffi- 


1  20  SEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

ciently  shows  how  basety  they  belie  our  dear  Lord. 
Christ  could,  indeed,  have  strongly  confuted  them 
by  referring  them  to  His  words  :  "Render  therefore 
unto  Caesar  the  things  which  are  Caesar's,  and  unto 
God  the  things  that  are  God's;"  but  what  good 
would  it  have  done  ?  He  had  to  sutler  Himself  to 
be  accused  of  being  a  rebel,  of  turning  the  nation 
away  from  the  Emperor,  of  forbidding  the  paying 
of  tribute,  and  of  desiring  to  be  a  king. 

Just  so,  at  this  day,  the  Pope,  cardinals,  bishops, 
monks  and  priests  calumniate  the  holy  Gospel, 
charging  it  with  teaching  sedition,  and  saying  that 
unless  it  is  opposed  the  temporal  power  will  come 
into  disrepute  and  no  one  will  respect  it.  But  let 
this  not  offend  thee;  thank  God  that  thou  knowTest 
that  they,  the  desperate  miscreants,  most  invidious 
foes  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and  most  malignant  blas- 
phemers of  Christ's  Gospel,  lie  !  For  the  Gospel 
deals  with  other  and  loftier  things  :  it  teaches  how 
we  can  be  freed  from  sin  and  attain  to  eternal  life, 
alone  by  believing  in  the  Son  of  God.  This  is  the 
character  of  the  instructions  given  us  by  the  Gospel ; 
it  does  not  meddle  with  worldly  things,  leaves  these 
so  to  remain  as  God  has  already  disposed  of  them 
by  means  of  the  temporal  government,  and  exhorts 
to  obedience  to  this  government. 

When  Pilate  now  had  heard  the  accusation,  he 
was  in  no  haste  to  act  upon  it,  but,  as  John  says, 
entered  into  the  judgment  hall  again,  ordered  Jesus 
to  be  brought  before  him  and  asked  Him,  saying  : 
"Art  Thou  the  king  of  the  Jews  ?"  Jesus  answered 
him :  "Say est  thou  this  thing  of  thyself,  or  did 
others  tell  it. thee  of  me?"  As  though  He  would 
say  :  0,  if  my  enemies  would  acquit  me,  you  would 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  121 

soon  do  so  too ;  for  I  know  that  yon  do  not  iegard 
me  as  a  king  nor  as  one  who  would  be  likely  to 
make  an  uproar. 

"Pilate  answered:  Am  I  a  Jew?  Thine  own 
nation  and  the  chief  priests  have  delivered  Thee 
unto  me;  what  hast  Thou  done?  Jesus  answered, 
My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world ;  if  my  kingdom 
were  of  this  world,  then  would  my  servants  fight, 
that  I  should  not  be  delivered  to  the  Jews;  but 
now  is  my  kingdom  not  from  hence.  Pilate  there- 
fore said  unto  Him,  Art  Thou  a  king  then  ?  Jesus 
answered,  Thou  sayest  that  I  am  a  king.  To  this 
end  was  I  born,  and  for  this  cause  came  I  into  the 
world,  that  I  should  bear  witness  unto  the  truth. 
Every  one  that  is  of  the  truth  heareth  my  voice. 
Pilate  saith  unto  Him,  what  is  truth?"  As  if  he 
would  say  :  If  Thou  art  a  king  sent  to  bear  witness 
unto  the  truth,  we  have  no  reason  to  fear  Thee ; 
for,  with  this  as  Thy  object,  Thou  wilt  not  injure 
the  Emperor.  The  proud  Gentile  meant  to  say,  in 
other  words  :  Truth  is  not  the  cause  of  a  great  deal 
of  strife.  And  this  is  only  too  true,  and  especially 
in  these  evil  and  latter  days  does  truth  go  begging. 
It  is  deceitfulness,  fraud,  avarice,  usury  and  the 
like  that  elevate  a  man  in  these  times.  But  what 
is  gained  by  these  in  the  end  will  soon  be  seen. 

When  Pilate  had  sufficiently  examined  the  Lord, 
he  went  out  again  unto  the  Jews  and  said  :  "I  find 
in  Him  no  fault  at  all," — "I  have  found  no  fault  in 
this  man."  But  the  Jews,  as  Luke  relates,  "were 
the  more  fierce,  saying,  He  stirreth  up  the  people, 
teaching  throughout  all  Jewry,  beginning  from 
Galilee  to  this  place.  When  Pilate  heard  of  Galileer 
he  asked  whether  the  man  were  a  Galilean.     And 


122  SEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

us  soon  as  he  knew  that  He  belonged  unto  Herod's 
jurisdiction,  lie  sent  Him  to  Herod,  who  himself 
also  was  at  Jerusalem  at  that  time.  And  when 
Herod  saw  Jesus,  he  was  exceeding  glad;  for  he 
was  desirous  to  see  Him  of  a  long  season,  because 
he  had  heard  many  things  of  Him ;  and  lie  hoped 
to  have  seen  some  miracle  clone  by  Him.  Then  he 
questioned  with  Him  in  many  words;  but  He 
answered  him  nothing.  And  the  chief  priests  and 
scribes  stood  and  vehemently  accused  Him.  And 
Herod  with  his  men  of  war  set  Him  at  naught,  and 
mocked  Him,  and  arrayed  Him  in  a  gorgeous  robe, 
and  sent  Him  again  to  Pilate.  And  the  same  day 
Pilate  and  Herod  were  made  friends  together ;  for 
before  they  were  at  enmity  between  themselves." 

Here  some  might  wonder  why  the  Lord  converses 
so  with  Pilate,  giving  him  all  information,  but 
refuses  to  speak  one  word  with  Herod,  who,  besides, 
was  king  of  Galilee.  The  true  reason  for  this  we 
find  in  Herod's  being  a  totally  abandoned  scoundrel 
and,  at  the  same  time,  a  great  hypocrite.  He  had 
lately  caused  John  the  Baptist  to  be  beheaded,  and 
lived  a  life  of  public  scandal  by  having  his  brother 
Philip's  wife,  and  still  pretended  to  be  exceedingly 
pious.  For  this  reason  the  Lord,  in  the  Gospel, 
calls  him  a  fox, — an  animal  of  which  the  fur  is  the 
only  valuable  part, — a  ravenous,  but  still  a  very 
cunning  animal.  Such  people  are  not  worthy  of 
intercourse  with  others ;  they  are  hypocrite^  who 
adopt  holy  faces  and  gentle  speech,  as  it  is  written 
of  Herod  in  Mark  6.,  where  it  says  that  he  "feared 
John,  knowing  that  he  was  a  just  man  and  a  holy; 
....  and  when  he  heard  him,  he  did  many  things, 
and  heard  him  gladly."     But  such  people  are  not 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  123 

in  earnest.  Scoffers  they  are,  who  regard  the  Gos- 
pel as  a  fable,  and  who  look  upon  the  Christian  as 
a  great  fool  for  offending  great  lords  and  endanger- 
ing his  possessions  by  his  faith.  Let  every  one, 
therefore,  avoid  such  people,  and  do  as  Christ  here 
did  with  Herod,  have  no  communication  with  them. 

This  also  is  worthy  of  observation  here  that  just 
as  Pilate  and  Herod,  who  before  were  enemies,  now 
become  friends  by  their  contact  with  Christ  the 
Lord,  even  so  do  we  see  men  act  in  our  day.  Men 
who  could  not  be  reconciled  among  themselves 
before,  are  harmonious  in  their  opposition  to  the 
Gospel.  One  bishop  cannot  agree  with  another, 
and  one  order  cannot  be  friendly  toward  another 
order.  Princes  are  dissatisfied  with  each  other. 
Each  one  wishes  to  be  the  best,  to  have  the  prefer- 
ence, and  to  oppress  and  silence  all  the  rest.  But 
when  Christ  comes  among  them  and  His  Gospel 
shows  its  might,  they  all  unite,  are  the  best  friends 
in  the  world,  and  stand  together  with  their  goods 
and  lives,  as  David  prophesied  long  ago  in  the  2. 
Psalm. 

After  the  Lord  was  brought  again  from  Herod  to 
Pilate,  "Pilate,"  so  says  Luke,  "when  he  had  called 
together  the  chief  priests  and  the  rulers  and  tho 
people,  said  unto  them,  Ye  have  brought  this  man 
unto  me,  as  one  that  perverteth  the  people ;  and 
behold,  I,  having  examined  Him  before  you,  have 
found  no  fault  in  this  man  touching  those  things 
whereof  ye  accuse  Him ;  no,  nor  yet  Herod ;  for  I 
sent  you  to  him ;  and  lo,  nothing  worthy  of  death 
is  done  unto  Him.  I  will  therefore  chastise  Him 
and  release  Him.  (For  of  necessity  he  must  release 
one  unto  them  at  the  feast.)" 


1  24  SEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

"And  they  had  then,"  says  Matthew,  as  we  have 
heard,  "a  notable  prisoner,  called  Barabbas."  Him 
Pilate  places  before  the  Jews,  together  with  Christ, 
that  the  Jews  might  choose  between  the  two, 
hoping  that  no  one  would  ask  for  Barabbas,  as  he 
was  a  great  rebel  and  murderer,  well  worthy  of 
death. 

"But  the  chief  priests  and  elders  persuaded  the 
multitude  that  they  should  ask  Barabbas."  "And," 
so  Luke  proceeds,  "they  cried  out  all  at  once,  say- 
ing, Away  with  this  man  and  release  unto  us  Bar- 
abbas; (who  for  a  certain  sedition  made  in  the  city, 
and  for  murder,  was  cast  into  prison.)  Pilate, 
therefore,  willing  to  release  Jesus,  spake  again  to 
them.  But  they  cried,  saying,  Crucify  Him,  crucify 
Him.  And  he  said  unto  them  the  third  time,  Why, 
what  evil  hath  He  done?  I  have  found  no  cause 
of  death  in  Him;  I  will  therefore  chastise  Him,  and 
let  Him  go.  And  they  were  instant  with  loud 
voices,  requiring  that  He  might  be  crucified." 

Matthew  writes  that  when  Pilate  "was  set  down 
on  the  judgment  seat,  his  wife  sent  unto  him,  say- 
ing, Have  thou  nothing  to  do  with  that  just  man; 
for  I  have  suffered  many  things  this  day  in  a  dream 
because  of  Him." 

And  this  was,  indeed,  an  excellent  warning,  sent 
perhaps  by  some  good  angel,  who,  in  a  dream, 
announced  to  Pilate's  wife  the  misfortunes  and 
calamities  which  Pilate  would  bring  upon  himself 
and  his  house  in  case  he  should  listen  to  the  Jews 
and,  at  their  command,  destroy  the  innocent  Jesus. 
But  as  admonitions  were  useless  and  vain  in  Judas' 
case,  so  did  they  at  last  avail  nothing  with  Pilate. 
Nevertheless,  he  resists  the  Jews  for  a  while.     The 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  125 

Jews,  to  whom  Christ  was  promised,  wish  the  most 
villainous  murderer  to  live,  bat  Him,  the  Prince  ot 
life,  they  are  in  haste  to  slay.  Since  in  this  way 
Pilate's  proposition  to  "let  Him  go"  is  discouraged, 
Pilate  makes  still  another  effort:  he  takes  Jesus 
and  scourges  Him,  as  the  Evangelists  continue  to 
relate. 

"Then  the  soldiers  of  the  governor  took  Jesus 
into  the  common  hall,  and  gathered  unto  Him  the 
whole  band  of  soldiers.  And  they  stripped  Him," 
"and  scourged  Him,"  "and  put  on  Him  a  scarlet 
robe.  And  when  they  had  platted  a  crown  of 
thorns,  they  put  it  upon  His  head,  and  a  reed  in 
His  right  hand"  instead  of  a  scepter ;  "and  they 
bowed  the  knee  before  Him,  and  mocked  Him," 
"and  began  to  salute  Him,"  "saying,  Hail,  King  of 
the  Jews !"  and  smote  Him  in  the  face.  '?And 
they  spit  upon  Him,  and  took  the  reed,  and  smote 
Him  on  the  head,"  "and  bowing  their  knees  wor- 
shiped Him." 

Here  and  throughout  the  entire  Passion-history 
you  will  observe,  dear  Christian,  how  Satan  poured 
•out  all  his  poisonous,  bitter,  hellish  hatred,  rage 
and  fury  upon  our  dear  Lord  in  such  a  way  that 
surely  no  human  being  ever  has  endured  such  great 
and  dreadful  suffering,  torture,  insult,  abuse  and 
derision  as  the  Son  of  God;  and  this  He  bore  for 
the  sake  of  my  sin,  thy  sin  and  the  sin  of  all  the 
world.  But  now,  since  the  suffering  and  death  of 
Christ  are  the  only  sacrifice  that  was  able  to  expiate 
sin,  it  is  easy  to  calculate  how  immensely  great  and 
terrible  God's  wrath  against  sin  must  be;  and  also, 
how  ineffably,  yea,  unfathomably  great  must  be  His 
grace  and  mercy  toward  us  condemned  beings, — 


12G  SEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

that  grace  and  mercy  whereby  He  gave  His  only 
begotten  Son  to  die  an  ignominious  death  upon  the 
cross  for  our  sins. 

Now  it  was  customary  among  the  Romans  to 
beat  malefactors  before  executing  them  ;  for  which 
reason  Pilate  commanded  Christ  also  to  be  scourged. 
At  the  same  time  he  still  hopes  and  labors  to 
liberate  the  Lord.  Therefore  he  led  Jesus  forth, 
after  the  soldiers  had  scourged  Him  and  put  on 
Him  the  purple  robe  and  the  crown  of  thorns,  and 
said  to  the  Jews :  "Behold,  I  bring  Him  forth  to 
37ou,  that  ye  may  know  that  I  find  no  fault  in  Him.''* 

"Then,"  says  John,  "came  Jesus  forth,  wearing 
the  crown  of  thorns,  and  the  purple  robe.  And 
Pilate  saith  unto  them,  Behold  the  man  !"  meaning 
by  this  :  You  should  be  satisfied  with  such  punish- 
ment as  this,  seeing  that  your  accusations  are  so 
groundless  and  His  innocence  is  so  evident.  But 
neither  did  he  succeed  in  this  way. 

As  soon  as  the  chief  priests  and  their  officers  saw 
Jesus,  and  perceived  that  Pilate  still  sought  to 
acquit  Him,  "they  cried  out,  saying,  Crucify  Him, 
crucify  Him."  Pilate  was  displeased  with  such 
great  injustice,  "for,"  as  we  are  informed  by 
Matthew,  "he  knew  that  for  envy  they  had  delivered 
Him."  Therefore  he  answers  them  bluntly :  "Take 
ye  Him  and  crucify  Him;  for  I  find  no  fault  in 
Him.  The  Jews  answered  him,  We  have  a  law, 
and  by  our  law  He  ought  to  die,  because  He  made 
Himself  the  Son  of  God." 

"When  Pilate  therefore  heard  that  saying,  he 
was  the  more  afraid;  and  went  again  into  the 
judgment  hall,  and  saith  unto  Jesus,  Whence  art 
Thou?     But   Jesus   gave   him   no   answer.     Then 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  127 

saith  Pilate  unto  Him,  Speakest  Thou  not  unto  me? 
knowest  Thou  not  that  I  have  power  to  crucify 
Thee,  and  have  power  to  release  Thee?  Jesua 
answered,  Thou  couldest  have  no  power  at  all 
against  me,  except  it  were  given  thee  from  above ; 
therefore  he  that  delivered  me  unto  thee  hath  the 
greater  sin." 

And  this  was  also  a  powerful  warning.  For 
Pilate  here  went  too  far,  thinking  that  in  virtue  of 
his  authority  Jesus'  fate  was  in  his  hands,  to  be 
decided  for  or  against  Him  at  his  own  pleasure,  as 
temporal  authorities  in  such  pride  commit  many 
sins.  No,  Pilate,  says  Christ,  you  overdo  this 
matter;  keep  within  proper  bounds.  If  you  have 
power,  you  have  it  not  of  yourself;  power  comes 
from  above.  Therefore,  use  your  power  in  such  a 
manner  that  you  may  know  how  to  give  an  account 
of  its  exercise.  Pilate  accepts  this  admonition,  and 
seeks  the  more  how  he  might  release  Him.  But 
the  Jews  would  not  hear  of  such  a  thing  and  "cried 
out,  saying,  If  thou  let  this  man  go,  thou  art  not 
Csesar's  friend  ;  whosoever  maketh  himself  a  king 
speaketh  against  Caesar." 

"When  Pilate  therefore  heard  that  saying,  he 
brought  Jesus  forth,  and  sat  down  in  the  judgment 
seat  in  a  place  that  is  called  the  Pavement,  but  in 
the  Hebrew,  Gabbatha.  And  it  was  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  passover,  and  about  the  sixth  hour,"  i.  e., 
about  noon.  "And  he  saith  unto  the  Jews,  Behold 
your  King !"  in  other  words,  You  still  maintain 
that  He  had  made  Himself  a  king.  Alas,  for  the 
king !  You  do  Him  great  injustice.  Does  He  look 
like  a  king  or  like  a  seditious  person  ?  But  all  was 
vain ;  "They  cried  out,  Away  with  Him,  away  with 


128  SEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

Him,  crucify  Him !  Pilate  saith  unto  them,  Shall 
I  crucify  your  King ?  The  chief  priests  answered, 
We  have  no  king  hut  Csesar." 

"When  Pilate  saw  that  he  could  prevail  nothing, 
but  that  rather  a  tumult  was  made,"  he  was  "will- 
ing to  content  the  people"  and  "gave  sentence  that 
it  should  be  as  they  required,"  and  "took  water, 
and  washed  his  hands  before  the  multitude,  saying, 
I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  just  person ;  see 
ye  to  it.  Then  answered  all  the  people,  and  said, 
His  blood  be  on  us,  and  on  our  children  ;"  that  is, 
if  we  do  Him  wrong,  then  may  we  and  our  children 
be  punished  for  it.  "Then  released  he  Barabbas 
unto  them," — "him  that  for  sedition  and  murder 
was  cast  into  prison,  whom  they  had  desired ;  but 
he  delivered  Jesus,"  mocked  and  scourged,  "to  their 
will,"  "to  be  crucified."  These  are  the  things  that 
happened  the  Lord  Jesus  before  Pilate. 


EIGHTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

Explanation  of  Several  Points  in  the  History 
just  Given. 

"%his  part  of  the  history    of  our  Lord   Jesus 


,J  furnishes  us  with  many  excellent  points  of 
Christian  doctrine,  laden  with  consolation.  Since, 
however,  the  material  presented  here  is  too  much 
for  one  sermon,  and  the  narrative  itself  is  suffi- 
ciently lengthy,  we  shall  dwell  only  on  three  points. 
The  first  is  this  :  Pilate  and  others  frequently  testify 
to  the  innocence  of  our  dear  Lord  Jesus.  The 
second :  Christ  witnessed  a  good  confession  before 
Pilate, — which  is  also  highly  extolled  by  St.  Paul, 
1  Tim.  6.  The  third:  Both  Pilate  and  the  Jews 
treat  the  blood  of  the  Lord  as  a  trifle,  but  it  after- 
ward becomes  an  intolerable  and  everlasting  bur- 
den, which  sinks  them  into  temporal  and  eternal 
misery. 

With  reference  to  the  first  point,  you  must  have 
noticed  throughout  that  Pilate  always  insists  upon 
it  that  he  finds  no  cause  of  death  in  Christ.  His 
wife  also  sent  unto  him,  telling  him  to  have  nothing 
to  do  with  that  just  and  innocent  man.  Pilate 
moreover  discovers,  from  all  the  actions  of  the  Jews 
and  by  diligent  investigation,  that  the  chief  priests 
and  elders  were  moved  against  Christ  by  nothing 
but  malice  and  envy.  Similar  testimony,  but  in 
greater  measure  and  more  powerful,  was  borne  after 
the  death  of  Christ.  Great  and  glorious  miracles 
then  were  wrought.     The  sun  lost  his  lustre  and 


130  EIGHTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

deep  darkness  reigned,  the  vail  of  the  temple  was 
rent  in  twain,  the  earth  did  quake,  the  rocks  rent, 
the  graves  were  opened,  and  many  bodies  of  the 
saints  arose.  Then  the  centurion  openly  confessed: 
"Certainly  this  was  a  righteous  man."  And  all 
the  people  present,  beholding  and  taking  to  heart 
the  things  which  were  done,  smote  their  breasts,  to 
signify  that  the  rash  execution  of  the  dear,  innocent 
Lord  gave  them  pain. 

But  of  what  use  is  this  testimony  ?  Why  do  the 
Evangelists  so  carefully  relate  it  ?  Without  a  doubt, 
their  only  object  is  to  point  us  to  the  counsel  and 
will  of  God,  and  to  admonish  us  to  consider  why 
the  Lord,  being  innocent  and  just,  had  to  suffer  so. 
In  other  words,  they  wish,  in  view  of  the  abundant 
proof  that  Christ  was  innocent  and  did  not  deserve 
to  die,  to  make  us  firmer  in  our  faith.  They  desire 
to  convince  us  that  whatever  our  blessed  Lord 
Jesus  suffered,  He  suffered  for  us ;  and  that  God 
laid  these  afflictions  upon  Him,  and,  although  He 
was  innocent,  would  not  remove  them,  so  that,  by 
His  bearing  them,  sin  might  be  removed  from  us 
and  we  might  be  reconciled  again  to  God. 

Whenever,  therefore,  we  read  in  any  part  of  the 
Passion  history  how  unjustly  the  Jews  and  Gentiles 
treated  the  Lord  Jesus,  how  they  smote  Him  before 
the  high  priest,  set  Him  at  naught  before  Herod, 
and  mocked  and  scourged  Him  in  the  judgment 
hall, — whenever,  I  say,  we  hear  of  such  treatment, 
no  matter  where  it  is  recorded,  our  thoughts  must 
run  thus:  Behold,  He  is  innocent;  He  does  not 
bear  this  for  Himself;  He  has  not  merited  this. 
But  I  and  you  and  all  of  us  have  deserved  this 
suffering ;  death  and  every  misfortune  did  rest  upon 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  131 

us  because  of  sin  ;  but  here  the  innocent  and  holy 
Son  of  God  appears,  takes  upon  Himself  my  debts, 
thy  debts,  and  the  debts  of  all  of  us,  and  discharges 
them,  so  that  we  might  be  free.  When  these  are 
our  thoughts  we  shall  have  such  comfort  that  our 
hearts  cannot  despair  on  account  of  their  sin,  and 
that  we  shall  not  flee  from  God  as  though  He  were 
a  tyrant  or  an  executioner;  but  that  we  shall  turn 
unto  Him  with  heart-felt  confidence  and  praise  and 
glorify  His  mercy,  which,  as  Paul  says  in  the  5. 
chap,  of  Romans,  He  commendeth  toward  us  in 
that  He  delivered  His  only  begotten  Son,  our  Lord 
and  Saviour,  unto  death,  to  die  for  us  sinners. 
Who  could  or  would  doubt  that  God's  intentions 
toward  us  are  good  and  altogether  gracious? 

Sin  had  subjected  all  of  us  to  the  wrath  of  God 
and  to  death,  and  had  transferred  us  into  Satan's 
kingdom ;  eternal  life  was  lost,  and  in  its  place  had 
been  inherited  every  calamity  for  time  and  for 
eternity.  But  our  Father,  merciful  and  gracious, 
comes  to  our  relief,  and,  rather  than  permit  us  to 
remain  in  such  misery,  sends  His  only  begotten 
Son,  born  of  a  virgin  and  made  under  the  law,  so 
that  the  law,  although  flesh  and  blood  were  unable 
to  do  God's  will,  might  not  have  been  given  in 
vain,  but  might  be  fulfilled  by  this  Man  for  all  other 
men.  And  finally  God  suiters  Him  to  die  upon 
the  cross,  by  His  innocent  death  to  atone  for  our 
sins,  so  that  we,  being  released  from  eternal  death 
and  from  the  kingdom  of  Satan,  might  receive 
eternal  life  and  be  the  children  of  God. 

Believing  that  this  was  done  on  thy  account  and 
for  thy  welfare,  take  it  as  thine  own  and  let  it 
comfort  thee.     And  well  may  we  do  this ;  for  here 


182  EIGHTH  PASSION-SEBMON. 

we  hear  not  once,  not  twice,  but  many  times,  that 
all  that  Jesus  suffers  He  suffers  innocently.  But 
why  does  God  tolerate  this,  yea,  why  does  He 
ordain  and  bring  it  about?  Simply  that  thou 
mightest  be  comforted  in  Christ.  He  does  not 
suffer  for  Himself,  but  for  thee  and  for  all  mankind, 
even  as  John  says :  "He  is  the  propitiation  for  our 
sins :  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the  sins  of 
the  whole  world."  For  this  reason  John  the  Bap- 
tist calls  Him  "The  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh 
away~  the  sin  of  the  world,"  that  is,  a  divinely 
appointed  Sacrifice,  who  takes  the  sin  of  all  the 
world  upon  Himself,  so  that  this  sin  may  rest  upon 
the  world  no  longer.  This  accounts  for -the  seem- 
ing inconsistency.  He  is  the  Son  of  God,  perfectly 
holy  and  altogether  without  sin,  and  therefore  it 
were  but  just  that  He  should  not  be  subject  to  the 
curse  and  to  death.  We  are  sinners  and  under  the 
curse  and  wrath  of  God,  and  therefore  it  were  but 
just  that  we  should  suffer  death  and  damnation. 
But  God  has  reversed  this  relation  ;*  He  who  knows 
no  sin,  who  is  altogether  merciful,  and  in  whom,  as 
John  says,  dwells  the  fullness  of  God's  grace,  was 
made  a  curse  for  us  and  had  to  bear  sin's  punish- 
ment, while  we,  through  Him,  have  obtained  mercy 
and  have  become  the  children  of  God.  We  should, 
therefore,  cling  to  this  consolation  and  take  special 
delight  in  such  testimony  for  Christ's  innocence. 
For  what  Christ  innocently  suffered  was  caused  by 
our  sins.  Therefore  His  innocence  comforts  us 
against  all  sin  and  suffering;  for  His  innocence  is  a 
sure  and  lasting  evidence  that  His  passion  is  for 
our  benefit,  and  that  our  dear  Lord  and  merciful 
Redeemer  has  suffered  for  us  and  paid  our  debts. 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  133 

However,  since  we  shall  have  occasion  to  speak 
further  of  this  when  we  come  to  Christ's  crucifixion 
between  the  murderers,  we  shall  now  proceed  to 
the  second  point. 

St.  Paul,  1  Tim.  6.,  admonishes  Timothy  thus : 
"I  give  thee  charge  in  the  sight  of  God,  who  quick- 
eneth  all  things,  and  before  Christ  Jesus,  who 
before  Pontius  Pilate  witnessed  a  good  confession, 
that  thou  keep  this  commandment,"  that  is,  doc- 
trine, "without  spot,  unrebukable,  until  the  appear- 
ing of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Because  this  passage  mentions  so  directly  the 
confession  which  our  dear  Lord  Jesus  made  before 
Pilate,  and  Paul  makes  use  of  it  for  earnestly  ad- 
monishing Timothy,  we  have  reason  to  meditate 
upon  this  confession  and  to  inquire  what  it  is  and 
what  is  its  purpose.  I^ow,  the  Gospels  tell  us 
plainly  what  it  was  that  Christ  confessed.  When 
the  Jews  had  accused  Him  of  having  said  that  He 
was  a  king,  and  Pilate  had  taken  Him  to  task  on 
this  account,  He  did  not  deny,  but  confessed  openly 
before  Pilate:  "My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world," 
i.e.,  my  kingdom  is  no  corporeal,  earthly  kingdom. 
Then  Pilate  asked  again,  "Art  Thou  a  king  then? 
Jesus  answered,  Thou  sayest  that  I  am  a  king.  To 
this  end  was  I  born,  and  for  this  cause  came  I  into 
the  world,  that  I  should  bear  witness  unto  the 
truth.  Every  one  that  is  of  the  truth  heareth  my 
voice."  Do  you  ask :  But  of  what  use  was  this 
confession  to  Paul  in  admonishing  Timothy  to  keep 
the  commandment,  i.  e.  doctrine,  pure  and  not  to 
adulterate  it?  Truly,  of  much  use!  Everything, 
if  we  desire  to  be  true  ministers  and  Christians, 
depends  upon  our  believing  what  Christ  confessed, 


134  EIGHTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

viz. :  that  He  is  a  king ;  but  that  His  kingdom  is 
not  of  this  world ;  that  His  only  work  in  this  world 
is  to  bear  witness  unto  the  truth.  And  it  follows 
that  His  earthly  subjects  must  be  like  Him,  the 
King.  He  is  indeed  called  a  king ;  but  when  He  is 
compared  with  Herod,  Pilate  and  other  temporal 
kings  and  rulers,  he  seems  a  poor,  wretched  man. 
Herod  was  a  great,  shining  lord,  who  courted 
sensual  delight,  realized  his  heart's  desires,  and  was 
looked  upon  by  all  the  world  as  glorious.  So  the 
world  regarded  Pilate  too  and  others.  But  poor, 
innocent  Christ  bears  no  comparison  with  such  as 
they ;  yea,  men  mock  and  scorn  Him  as  they  please; 
they  nail  Him  to  the  cross  and  murder  Him. 
Therefore  He  said :  "My  kingdom  is  not  of  this 
world !" 

Why,  then,  is  He  called  a  king?  Because  He  is 
a  king, — a  king  "just,  and  having  salvation,"  as 
Zechariah  says,  chapter  9.  Therefore,  whosoever 
lives  in  His  kingdom  must  not  expect  Him  to  give 
money  or  possessions,  to  satisfy  the  body's  wants, 
or  to  do  the  other  things  which  earthly  kings  are 
wont  to  do.  jSTo,  this  King  forgives  sins;  Hebe- 
stows  righteousness;  He  delivers  from  everlasting 
death  ;  He  bestows  the  Holy  Spirit  and  eternal  life. 
These  are  His  gifts  to  all  who  hear  His  voice.  This 
kingdom  He  has  established  on  earth,  but  only  in 
the  Word  and  in  faith. 

We  have,  therefore,  an  eternal  King  omnipotent, 
Christ  Jesus,  God's  own  Son,  who  rescues  us  from 
Satan's  power,  from  sin,  from  never-ending  death. 
Our  King  does  not  deliver  from  bodily  death;  for 
earth  is  the  place  for  suffering  and  dying,  and  He 


SERMONS  OX  THE  GOSPELS.  135 

Himself  had  to  suffer  here  and  die.  Those  who 
-recognize  this  character  of  the  King  and  His  king- 
dom bear  the  cross  with  resignation.  For  then 
they  know  that  our  Lord  Jesus,  the  everlasting 
King,  also  had  to  bear  the  cross,  and  thus,  remem- 
bering that  the  servant  cannot  fare  better  than  his 
master,  are  made  willing  and  ready  to  suffer.  And, 
besides,  they  take  comfort  in  the  knowledge  that, 
although  they  must  suffer  here,  there  in  eternity 
joy  and  glory  shall  be  theirs.  It  is  this  that  makes 
Christians  bold,  even  in  the  midst  of  temptation 
and  death ;  while  they  who  do  not  know  these 
things  cannot  do  otherwise  in  days  of  adversity 
than  mourn,  lament,  murmur,  show  impatience, 
and,  in  the  end,  even  despair.  For  the  latter  think 
that  if  God  wished  them  well,  He  would  not  permit 
so  much  misery  to  come  upon  them,  or  else  would 
soon  help  and  rescue  them.  Such  thoughts  unmis- 
takably prove  that  Christ  is  held  to  be  a  king  of 
this  world.  Temporal  kings  must,  according  to 
the  duties  of  their  office,  protect  the  bodies,  lives 
and  possessions  of  their  subjects  and  defend  them 
against  danger.  But  Christ,  the  King  of  glory, 
permits  body  and  property,  life  and  all  to  be  in 
danger. 

Do  thou  learn  and  firmly  believe  that  these  things 
are  so  for  the  reason,  simply,  that  His  ''Kingdom  is 
not  of  this  world."  Thy  Christian  faith  is  not  to 
be  used  by  thee  on  earth  as  the  means  for  obtaining 
all  things  in  abundance,  or  for  supplying  all  thy 
desires.  For  behold  thy  King  !  How  does  it  fare 
with  Him,  the  Lord  Jesus?  With  what  does  He 
make  a  display?  Did  He  live  a  life  of  ease?  Do 
men    regard   Him    as   glorious?     We   see  nothing 


136  EIGHTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

there   except   the   suffering,   mocked,   reviled   and 
ignominiously  slaughtered  One. 

True,  He  does  sway  a  scepter,  but  only  over  a 
very  small  number,  even  the  testimony  of  truth, 
that  is,  the  holy  Gospel.  By  means  of  this,  as  said 
already,  He  sends  the  Holy  Spirit  into  the  souls  .of 
men,  forgives  their  sins,  and  gives  them  the  hope 
of  everlasting  life.  But  all  these  things  take  place 
only  in  faith  and  in  the  Word;  we  cannot  see 
them;  we  cannot  touch  them;  they  are  realized  not 
by  reason,  but  by  hope.  However,  when  earth's 
kingdom  ends  and  we  dwell  no  longer  here,  then 
shall  His  kingdom  and  His  glory  be  revealed  to  us, 
yea,  we  shall  live  with  Him  and  with  Him  rule  all 
things  in  heaven  and  on  earth. 

It  was  in  this  way  that  the  Lord  was  recognized 
on  the  cross  by  one  of  the  malefactors,  saying, 
"Lord,  remember  me  when  Thou  comest  into  Thy 
kingdom."  He  saw  Christ  suspended  on  the  tree 
in  the  same  misery,  in  which  he  found  himself. 
The  malefactor  on  the  left  was  offended  at  Christ's 
helplessness  and  helped  the  Jews  to  rail  on  Him : 
Ah  !  a  very  fine  king,  indeed  !  He  concluded  that 
since  the  dear  Lord  was  so  wretched  and  poor  on 
earth,  it  would,  of  course,  be  useless  to  expect  help  ' 
from  Him.  But  he  on  the  right  knew  Him  wrell ; 
he  knew  Him  not  as  a  worldly,  but  as  a  spiritual 
and  an  eternal  King.  For  this  reason  he  prays 
that  He  would  remember  him  in  His  kingdom  when 
His  body  should  be  lifeless  there  upon  the  cross. 
In  this  way  must  we  also  believe  in  Him,  and  then 
shall  we  find  immutable  comfort  in  Christ  Jesus. 

]S"ow,  all  Christians  need  that  consolation  which 
always,  in  all  kinds  of  distress  and  disappointment. 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  13  i 

comes  to  them  when  they  hold  to  Christ's  confession 
before  Pilate.  It  makes  them  say  to  themselves: 
Why  shouldest  thou  weep?  Why  complain  of  this 
or  that  misfortune  ?  Think  what  kind  of  a  King 
thou  hast;  what  says  He  before  Pilate?  "My 
kingdom  is  not  of  this  world."  Wouldst  thou  have 
thy  kingdom  here?  ~No,  no;  for  here  it  would  not 
last;  this  is  altogether  the  land  of  suffering!  But 
in  the  world  to  come  glory  and  a  joyful  life  shall 
surely  be  found.  If  they  could  be  found  here,  they 
would  afford  only  a  short  and  transient  joy,  for  in 
this  world  there  is  nothing  firm  nor  eternal.  But 
Jesus  Christ,  my  King,  is  a  King  in  the  other 
world,  that  is,  an  everlasting  King ;  postpone  thy 
glorying  and  thy  pleasures,  therefore,  till  thou  goest 
thither,  and  be  content  with  the  treatment  thou 
receivest  here.  Thy  King  has  not  given  thee  orders 
to  remain  here ;  He  will  have  nothing  to  do  with 
the  world  outside  of  the  testimony  of  truth. — All 
Christians,  I  say,  need  this  consolation,  but  espe- 
cialty  they  who  hold  the  ministerial  office  and  ply 
the  Word. 

For  this  reason  St.  Paul  urges  Timothy  with 
these  words,  referring  to  Christ's  confession  before 
Pilate,  to  hold  fast  to  the  pure  doctrine  and  not  to 
let  it  be  falsified.  The  world  and  the  devil  cannot 
bear  the  Word,  and  oppose  it  with  all  manner  of 
confusion.  Every  pastor  should  and  must,  there- 
fore, cling  to  the  testimony  mentioned,  and  recog- 
nize Christ  as  that  King,  in  whom  he  finds  comfort, 
and  whom  he  hopes  to  enjoy, — but  not  on  earth. 
He  says,  "But  now  is  my  kingdom  not  from  hence." 
And  again,  "I  am  a  king  ....  for  this  cause  came 
I  into  the  world,  that  I  should  bear  witness  unto 


138  EIGHTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

the  truth."  Whosoever,  therefore,  desires  to  have 
this  King  Jesus,  let  him  lay  hold  on  the  truth, 
which  is  His  Word,  and  know  that  he  shall  not  on 
account  of  His  kingdom  have  greater  abundance  on 
earth;  yea,  let  him  know  that  he  shall  have  to  bear 
many  a  misfortune  on  account  of  the  Word,  even 
as  did  Christ,  the  King,  Himself.  But  when  life 
on  earth  is  over,  then  shall  come  the  full  enjoyment 
of  the  Lord  Jesus'  kingdom. 

The  Pope  and  bishops  never  knew  this  consola- 
tion. They  do  not  recognize  as  king  one  who  does 
no  more  than  bear  witness  unto  the  truth,  and  cry 
with  Pilate:  "What  is  truth?"  Had  we  nothing 
else  we  would,  no  doubt,  have  to  go  a  begging. 
Therefore  will  we  have  another  king, — one  who 
can  give  us  plenty  of  money,  possessions,  honor, 
power  and  everything;  as  for  this  King  and  His 
truth,  they  may  in  the  meanwhile  fare  as  they  can. 
But  St.  Paul  cautions  against  such  folly.  And 
every  pious  pastor  should  earnestly  heed  this  ad- 
monition, and  depend  upon  it  that  we  shall  not  be 
glorified  on  earth,  and  that  all  our  glory  here  shall 
be  to  bear  witness  unto  the  truth.  Earth's  reward 
for  this  service  shall  be  in  our  case  what  it  was  in 
the  Lord  Jesus'  case,  the  gallows  and  the  execu- 
tioner. Learn  to  suffer  and  to  hear  such  things, 
and  let  it  be  your  faith  and  hope,  that,  although 
you  must  suffer  here,  still  this  suffering  shall,  in 
the  other  world,  be  rewarded  and  made  good  by 
the  Lord  Jesus,  the  eternal  King !  But  this  must 
suffice  for  a  brief  consideration  of  the  testimony 
before  Pilate. 

We  must  now  examine  the  third  point  also.  It 
is  this:  Pilate  and  the  Jews  greatly  undervalue  the 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  139 

blood  of  our  dear  Lord  Jesus,  which,  finally,  falls 
ou  them  as  a  crushing  and  eternal  burden. 

Matthew  mentions  in  particular  that  Pilate 
washed  his  hands  before  the  multitude,  and  said : 
"I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  just  person." 
He  thought  he  had  done  his  whole  duty  in  making 
several  attempts  to  liberate  Christ,  and  that  he 
could  not  help  it  that  the  Jews  resisted  him  in  his 
efforts.  Still  he  delivered  the  Lord  to  be  crucified. 
Just  as  though  his  saying  "I  am  innocent"  would 
make  him  innocent !  Had  Jie  desired  a  warning, 
his  wife  might  have  told  him  how  innocent  he 
would  be ;  for  she,  as  related  above  in  the  text,  had 
spent  a  whole  night  suffering  many  things  in  a 
dream,  from  which  she  could  judge  the  severity  of 
the  judgment  which  Pilate  would  bring  upon  him- 
self and  all  belo-nging  to  him  by  consenting  to  the 
death  of  "that  just  man."  But  so  it  always  is  with 
the  blood  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and  with  that  of  His 
Christians.  Herod  the  elder  slew  all  Bethlehem's 
innocent  infants.  His  son  slew  the  holy  John  the 
Baptist.  Both  dared  to  think  themselves  benefited 
by  their  murder.  Neither  did  Pilate  here  regard  it 
as  much  out  of  the  way  that  he  sentenced  Christ  to 
die.  He  thought  that  his  opinion  would  also  be 
God's  opinion,  and  that  God  would,  therefore,  hold 
him  innocent.  But  without  doubt  God's  wrath  did 
not  tarry  long  till  it  utterly  destroyed  the  house, 
the  tribe,  the  name  of  Pilate,  and  then  thrust  his 
body  and  soul  into  hell  and  into  the  eternal  fire. 
There  he  discovered  how  innocent  he  was  of  this 
blood! 

But  the  Jews  went  about  this  murder  with  still 
greater  recklessness.     When  Pilate  said,  "Sec  ye  to 


140  EIGHTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

it,"  they  shamelessly  burst  out  with  the  cry,  "His 
blood  be  ou  us,  and  on  our  children,"  that  is,  in 
case  He  should  be  wronged,  we  are  willing  that  we 
and  our  children  shall  sutler  for  it.  It  was  easily 
said,  and  seemed  to  have  been  spoken  with  im- 
punity. But  before  forty  years  had  passed  they 
saw  their  imprecation  about  to  be  answered.  And 
then  this  "blood"  began  to  flow  down  upon  them 
in  such  streams  that  Jerusalem  and  the  whole 
Jewish  kingdom  soon  were  desolate,  the  people 
lamentably  slain,  and  ^11  things  overthrown.  But 
even  this  sufficed  not ;  from  that  time  till  this,  and 
it  is  now  nearly  fifteen  hundred  years,  they  have 
wandered  about  in  misery,  nowhere  finding  a  con- 
tinuing city. 

This  temporal  punishment,  so  that  they  have  no 
cities  nor  government  of  their  own,  is  truly  severe, 
but  it  shall  come  to  an  end.  But  this  is  truly  terri- 
ble that  their  hearts  are  so  horribly  imbittered 
against  Christ,  the  Son  of  God.  Instead  of  seeking^ 
and  expecting  forgiveness  of  sin  and  eternal  life 
and  salvation,  as  they  should,  of  Christ,  their  King 
and  God,  they  abuse  and  revile  Him,  thus  taking 
delight  in  falsehood  and  error,  and  diligently  seek 
means  of  darkening  the  Scriptures  before  their  own 
eyes  and  preventing  their  understanding  it.  There- 
fore, when  they  fancy  that  they  are  calling  upon 
and  serving  God,  they  really  serve  the  very  deviL 
Neither  does  God  hear  them.  And  since  they 
desire  no  freedom  from  sin  through  the  Son  of 
God,  there  can  be  nothing  surer  to  them  than  that 
they  must  die  in  their  sins  aud  be  forever  ruined. 
In  the  8.   chapter  of  John,  Christ  tells  them  thia 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  141 

very  thing :    "If  ye  believe  not  that  I  am  He,  ye 
shall  die  in  your  sins." 

They  did  not,  at  that  time,  perceive  this  calamity, 
and  even  thought  that  the  sooner  Christ  could  be 
slain  the  better  it  would  be  for  them.  Without 
any  further  thought,  therefore,  they  said :  If  He  is 
wronged,  may  we  and  our  children  be  punished! 
But  even  as  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  afforded 
Judas  a  joy  of  only  short  duration,  so  also  a  change 
soon  came  upon  the  Jews.  From  clay  to  day  failure 
advanced  upon  all  their  affairs,  until,  in  the  end, 
they  went  to  utter  ruin.  This  is,  therefore,  a  fit 
subject  for  the  serious  meditation  especially  of  great 
kings  and  princes ;  these  should  remember  what  an 
easy,  trifling  thing  it  seemed  for  Pilate  and  the 
Jews  to  shed  innocent  blood,  and  how  this  finally 
forced  them  into  the  abyss  of  hell. 

When  our  bishops  and  their  idol,  the  Pope,  have 
succeeded  in  seizing  a  pious,  faithful  minister  and 
pastor,  they  hurry  him  off*  to  the  stake*  or  to  the 
gallows,  and  dream  they  have  done  well;  they  do 
this,  therefore,  like  Pilate  and  the  Jews,  with  wan- 
tonness. But  their  success  is  not  made  certain  yet; 
alas,  such  an  end  as  theirs  shall  be !  For  it  is 
impossible  that  God  should  look  long  upon  such 
deeds  in  silence;  innocent  blood  cries  so  mightily 
into  His  ears  that  He  must  rise  and  inflict  punish- 
ment. 

Pilate  was  thrust  so  low  that  now,  no  doubt,  not 
a  single  person  of  his  name  or  tribe  remains.  The 
Jews  to  this  day  are  laboring  under  the  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  it  will  finally  press  them  down  to 
hell.     The   great  and   powerful  emperors  and  the 


142  EIGHTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

mighty  princes  in  the  Romish  and  all  other  king- 
doms, and  every  one  else  that  has  ever  persecuted 
Christians,— they  all  have  been  lamentably  over- 
thrown and  slain. 

And  surely  the  same  fate  awaits  the  enemies  of 
Christ  of  our  day,  who  act  as  tyrants  and  persecute 
and  murder  Christians  for  the  Gospel's  sake.  Let 
no  one  fear  that  punishment  shall  fail  to  come  I 
They  who  meddle  with  the  innocent  blood  of  Chris- 
tians, though  they  may  be  as  mighty  as  the  Emperor 
Augustus,  must  still  go  down,  together  with  all 
their  descendants.  They  may,  indeed,  be  thinking 
now  that  we  are  heretics  and  that  they  do  right  by 
slaying  us.  So  thought  Pilate,  and  especially  the 
Jews,  but  it  availed  them  nothing.  Let  every  one, 
therefore,  take  good  care  of  himself  and  let  alone 
the  blood  of  Christians !  At  first  it  seems  a  little 
sin, — a  trifle  merely ;  but  in  the  end,  everything 
that  is  stained  with  Christians'  blood  shall  be  utterly 
destroyed,  as  all  history  testifies. 

May  Almighty  God  resist  all  tyrants,  mercifully 
grant  peace  unto  His  Church,  graciously  keep  us  by 
His  Word  and  save  us  forever.    Amen. 


NINTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

Christ  Led  away  to  be  Crucified. — Simon  Bears 

the  Cross  after  Him. — The  Women  who  Follow 

Bewail  and  Lament  Him. 

Luke  23,  26-31.  And  as  they  led  Him  away,  they  laid  hold  upon 
one  Simon,  a  Cyrenian,  coming  out  of  the  country,  and  on  him  they 
laid  the  cross,  that  he  might  bear  it  after  Jesus.  And  there  followed 
Him  a  great  company  of  people,  and  of  women,  which  also  be  .vailed 
and  lamented  Him.  But  Jesus  mrning  unto  them  said,  Daughters  of 
Jerusalem,  weep  not  for  me,  but  weep  for  yourselves,  and  for  your 
children.  For,  behold,  the  days  are  coming,  in  the  which  they  shall 
say,  B'essed  are  the  barren,  and  the  wombs  that  never  bare,  and  the 
paps  which  never  gave  suck.  Then  shall  they  begin  to  say  to  the 
mountains,  Fall  on  us ;  and  to  the  hills,  Cover  us.  For  if  they  do 
these  things  in  a  green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in  the  dry? 

Limon's  bearing  the  cross  and  the  women's 
§§H  weeping  occurred  while  Christ  was  being  led 
from  Pilate  to  the  place  of  execution.  Matthew, 
Mark  and  Luke  alike  make  mention  of  Simon,  a 
Cyrenian,  to  show,  no  doubt,  that  what  is  said  of 
him  was  no  accident,  as  it  might  seem,  but  so  or- 
dained by  God  for  a  special  purpose,  viz. :  that  at 
the  very  time  when  Christ  should  be  led  away  to 
suffer,  all  Christians  might  have  an  example  set, 
from  which  to  learn  how  they  should  fare  on  earth, 
— that  the}7  must  bear  the  cross  after  the  Lord 
Jesus,  like  Simon  here.  This  good  and  pious  man, 
not  knowing  in  what  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  were 
engaged,  went  into  the  city  according  to  his  need 
and  opportunity,  to  attend  to  his  business.  And 
now,  as  the  Lord  and  the  two  murderers  were  led 
toward  him,  and  the  Lord,  on  account  of  weakness, 


144  NINTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

could  cany  no  further  the  cross  which  had  been 
placed  on  Him,  and  which,  since  a  strong,  full- 
grown  man  was  to  be  nailed  to  it,  must  have  been 
pretty  heavy,  the  soldiers  ran  up  to  good,  pious 
Simon  and  compelled  him  to  take  up  the  cross  or 
tree,  to  which  Christ  was  to  be  nailed,  and  to  bear 
it  after  the  Lord. 

This  looks  as  if  it  had  happened  incidentally. 
But  it  is,  as  already  said,  a  picture  of  all  Christians, 
which  God  wished  to  show  to  His  Church  just 
when.  His  dear  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  was  Himself 
suffering,  so  as  to  check  that  common  offence  which 
is  so  apt  to  lead  us  all  astray:  For  as  soon  as  God 
monies  to  us  with  the  cross,  attacking  our  body  or 
property,  giving  us  ill-bred  children  or  sending 
some  other  misfortune  or  calamity,  our  courage 
fails  us.  We  then  conclude  that  God  does  not  wish 
us  well,  and  that  if  He  loved  us  He  would  deal 
more  gently  with  us.  We  take  the  fact  that  He 
permits  us  to  be  troubled,  afflicted  and  tormented 
as  an  indication  that  He  is  angry  with  us  and 
refuses  to  be  gracious. 

Now,  the  picture  in  our  text  is  to  operate  against 
offences  of  this  kind.  In  the  first  place,  we  see  the 
Son  of  God  bearing  His  cross  Himself  and  finding 
it  so  heavy  that  it  nearly  throws  Him  down  and 
that  He  can  scarcely  walk.  Mark  this  well!  For 
if  such  things  happen  to  the  green  and  fruitful  tree, 
about  which  we  shall  soon  be  told,  it  is  easy  to  infer 
that  better  things  shall  not  and  can  not  happen  the 
dry  and  unfruitful  tree.  In  the  second  place,  we 
see  pious  Simon  doing  the  work  that  others  should 
have  done;  had  he  not  come  near  where  Christ 
was  compelled  to  carry  His  cross,  he  would  never 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  145 

have  needed  to  bear  a  cross.  But  here  he  suffers 
for  the  Lord  Jesus ;  because  Christ  carries  the  cross, 
he  also  must  suffer  and  help  to  carry  it.  Remember, 
it  shall  never  be  different  with  Christians  here; 
they  must  all  submit  with  Simon  and  bear  the  cross 
after  Christ. 

Although  God  may  bear  with  the  wicked  for  a 
while  and  permit  them  to  receive  everything  that 
their  hearts  wish  and  covet,  still  their  punishment 
shall  not  be  delayed  always.  They  too  must  suffer 
here  on  earth,  receiving  now  here  a  kick  then  there 
a  thrust,  and  never  afterward  enjoying  uninterrupted 
success,  as  the  32.  Psalm  tells  us :  "Many  sorrows 
shall  be  to  the  wicked ;  but  he  that  trusteth  in  the 
Lord,  mercy  shall  compass  him  about,"  and  as  is 
glaringly  shown  by  examples. 

Severe  and  violent  were  the  sufferings  of  ungodly 
Pharaoh  and  his  Egyptians.  And  how  much  mis- 
fortune, oppression  and  grief  did  not  the  Jews  have 
to  bear  in  the  desert  and  afterward  in  the  land  of 
Canaan,  until,  finally,  the  Assyrian  wasted  the  ten 
tribes,  and,  some  time  after,  even  Judah's  tribe  was 
flung  into  the  whirlpool  of  woes  and  the  entire  land 
conquered  by  the  Babylonians !  But  it  is  not 
necessary  to  cite  many  instances.  Each  one  need 
merely  think  of  what  he  himself  has  seen  and  ex- 
perienced in  his  own  case  and  in  that  of  others.  It 
is,  therefore,  impossible  that  punishment,  distress, 
wretchedness  and  tribulation  should  finally  fail  to 
follow  where  God  is  not  feared  and  where  His  Word 
and  will  are  resisted. 

But  from  the  case  of  Simon  here  we  must  learn 
to  make  a  difference  between  the  holy  cross  and 
the  well-deserved  punishment  and  misery   of  the 


140  NINTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

wicked.  No  wonder  if  the  knave  fares  badly ;  for 
he  rushes  to  his  doom  with  open  eyes.  If  the  thiet 
would  stop  his  stealing  he  would,  no  doubt,  remain 
secure  against  the  gallows  and  the  hangman.  As 
for  men  and  women,  if  they  would  refrain  from 
debauchery,  they  might  enjoy  wealth,  honor  and 
health.  But  since  they  do  not  desist,  but  continue 
in  sin,  God  punishes  them  with  poverty,  disgrace, 
disease,  or  other  misfortunes.  These  wicked  ones 
wish  nothing  else  and  nothing  better;  for  by  their 
sin  and  impenitent  lives  they  themselves  furnish 
the  cause  for  their  misery  and  distress ;  they  urge 
God,  who  would  delight  in  being  merciful  and  in 
giving  them  all  good  things,  yea,  they  compel  Him 
to  make  His  anger  burn  at  once,  to  heap  destruction 
on  them  and  to  stem  the  tide  of  sin.  Peter  there- 
fore says,  1  Pet.  4,  15  :  "But  let  none  of  you  sutler 
as  a  murderer,  or  as  a  thief,  or  as  an  evil-doer,  or 
as  a  busybody  in  other  men's  matters."  lie  thus 
makes  this  distinction,  that  not  all  suffering  is  to 
be  called  a  "cross;"  for  that  which  the  wicked 
sutler  is  not  their  cross,  but  their  punishment  and 
merited  reward ;  while  that  which  Christians  suffer, 
like  Simon  here,  is  called  and  is  in  reality  a  "cross," 
because  it  is  not  merited,  but  the  fault  of  others. 
If  Simon  had  not  just  happened  to  meet  the  Lord 
Jesus,  he  would  have  been  let  alone ;  but  he  has  to 
suffer  for  it  that  he  came  where  Christ  was  being 
led  to  the  crucifixion. 

In  this  way  all  Christians  should  suffer  and  bear 
the  cross ;  even  as  Peter  says :  Not  "suffer  as  a 
murderer,  or  as  a  thief,  .  .  .  yet  ...  as  a  Christian," 
that  is,  for  the  sake  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and  His 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  147 

Word  and  confession.  All  Christians  acknowledge 
themselves  to  be  poor  sinners,  and  know  that 
through  sin  they  have  deserved  all  the  calamities 
God  sends  upon  them  on  earth,  and  many  more. 
They  are,  indeed,  the  only  ones  who  acknowledge 
their  short- comings,  weakness  and  transgressions ; 
for  sin's  peculiar  punishment  is  eternal  death,  and 
not  this  or  that  particular  temporal  misfortune. 
Nevertheless,  their  suffering  is  not  the  punishment 
for  sin,  but  the  real  and  holy  "cross."  His  being  a 
sinner  and  his  stumbling  and  falling  occasionally, 
is  not  the  reason  why  the  Christian  is  hated  by  the 
evil  adversary  and  the  world.  No,  both  the  devil 
and  the  world  could  well  tolerate  that,  and  would 
be  satisfied  with  the  Christian  as  far  as  that  is  con- 
cerned. But  the  Christian  holds  to  the  Word  and 
has  faith ;  he  put  his  hope  in  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God,  and  is  comforted  in  His  death  and  resurrec- 
tion ;  he  fears  God  and  tries  to  live  according  to 
His  will ;  he  labors  hard,  by  means  of  his  confession, 
to  persuade  others  to  believe  and  to  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  Christ.  This  it  is  that  neither  the 
devil  nor  his  tender  bride,  the  world,  can  endure; 
this  it  is  that  makes  Satan  rage  so  terribly  against 
all  Christians;  this  it  is  that  makes  him  always 
pursue  them,  afflicting  their  bodies  with  disease 
and  sometimes  their  property  with  loss  by  storms, 
or  hail,  or  fire,  as  it  was  the  case  with  Job.  (Job  1.) 
And  sometimes  he  troubles  them  with  great  secret 
torments  of  conscience,  such  as  melancholy,  sadness, 
fear,  trembling,  doubts,  dread  of  death,  and  like 
fiery  darts  of  the  devil,  about  which  the  Psalms 
lament  so  much.  Of  this  kind  was  the  temptation 
of  Paul  which  he  mentions  2  Cor.  12 :  "There  was 


148  NINTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

given  to  me  a  thorn  in  the  flesh,  the  messenger  of 
Satan  to  buffet  me,"  &c.  And  what  the  world  does 
in  this  direction  is  easily  seen,  especially  in  times 
like  the  present,  when  poor  Christians  receive  such 
wretched  and  horrible  treatment. 

This  is  bearing  the  Lord  Jesus'  cross  as  Simon 
did.  Simon  was  certainly  also  a  poor  sinner,  but 
what  is  that  to  these  soldiers  ?  It  is  not  for  this 
that  they  make  him  suffer,  but  they  make  him 
suffer  because  Christ,  who  cannot  get  along  with 
His  cross,  is  present  and  needs  some  one  to  help 
Him  bear  the  cross. 

Therefore,  although  thou  art  a  poor  sinner,  and 
confessest  how  thou  hast  in  various  ways  sinned 
against  God;  still,  because  thou  believest  in  Christ, 
thy  sins  are  not  the  chief  cause  of  all  thy  crosses 
and  afflictions,  and  thy  sins  are  not  that  for  which 
the  devil  and  the  world  punish  thee.  Nay,  it 
would  be  their  joy  and  rejoicing  if  thou  wouldst  be 
altogether  on  their  side,  and  not  on  that  of  God 
and  His  Word.  It  is  chiefly  on  account  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  His  Word  and  thy  faith  that  thou  must 
suffer. 

This,  that  Simon  bears  the  Lord  Jesus'  cross,  is 
the  first  thing  to  be  learned  here.  It  is  profitable 
especially  for  consolation,  giving  us  certainty  that 
we  shall  realize  our  hope  of  help  and  salvation,  and 
provoking  us  to  prayer.  For  he  who,  when  he  lies 
under  the  cross  and  in  misery,  thinks  only  of  his 
being  a  sinner  and  deserving  such  punishment,  is, 
by  such  thoughts,  made  too  cold  and  too  lazy  to 
pray.     For  it  is  the  nature  of  sin  always  to  terrify 

8* 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  141) 

the  heart,  to  make  it  fearful  and  timid,  and  to 
deprive  it  of  the  consolation  and  the  hope  that  God 
will  bestow  aught  that  is  good.  But  if  we  consider 
the  real,  chief  reason  why  the  devil  and  the  world 
are  such  bitter  enemies  of  ours  and  heap  all  manner 
of  mischief  on  us,  we  shall  have  to  confess  that  it  is 
not  on  account  of  our  sins  that  they  are  so  furious. 
They  would  like,  and  this  is  their  constant  aim,  to 
plunge  us  into  all  sin  and  shame,  to  succeed  in 
which  would  be  their  pleasure  and  satisfaction. 
They  are  opposed  to  us,  they  seek  where  they  can 
to  do  us  harm  and  hate  us,  especially  because  we 
heed  the  Word  of  God,  confess  the  Lord  Jesus, 
place  our  confidence  in  the  goodness  and  grace  of 
God  and  desire  to  live  according  to  His  will,  in  His 
fear  and  love,  and  in  faith  and  obedience.  This  is 
the  fountain  and  foundation  of  their  hatred  and 
envy.  Mark  well,  thou  must  therefore  not  deny 
that  thou  art  a  poor  sinner,  and  that  thou  hast  by 
thy  sins  deserved  every  calamity.  For  God  punishes 
also  His  own  for  their  sins,  as  Peter  says,  "Judg- 
ment must  begin  at  the  house  of  God."  But  Satan 
and  the  world,  so  say  to  thyself,  are  not  angiy  with 
me  on  this  account ;  they  would  be  satisfied  with 
me  if  I,  like  a  hog  in  the  mire,  remained  impenitent 
in  my  sins.  But  why,  then,  do  they  hate  me? 
Simply  because  I  believe  and  confess  that  the  Man 
who  here  bears  the  cross  is  my  God  and  Saviour. 

Now,  if  this  is  true,  what  shall  we  do  next? 
Shall  we  despair?  No,  as  you  prize  your  soul,  no  ! 
Firm  hope  must  be  ours.  And  though  we  are 
miserable  sinners,  it  is  still  most  sure  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  will  not  let  us  perish  as  long  as  we  suffer  for 


150  NINTH  PASSI0N-SER)I0N. 

His  sake.  He  can  help  us  mercifully,  and  He  will 
do  so.  And  as  we  suffer  and  die  with  Him,  so 
shall  we  also  be  exalted  with  Him  into  glory  and 
live  with  Him  forever.  But  let  us  boldly  open  our 
mouth  and  cry,  saying:  0  Lord,  we  are,  indeed, 
poor  sinners,  and  by  our  disobedience  have  deserved 
infinitely  severer  chastisement  than  we  are  now 
bearing ;  but  look,  0  Lord,  at  the  wicked  enemy's 
intentions.  The  enemy  hates  Thee  and  Thy  name, 
and  hates  us  too  because  we  hold  fast  to  Thee  and 
Thy  name,  find  comfort  in  Thy  Word,  and  hope 
for  mercy  through  Thy  death  and  merits.  There- 
fore, dear  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  be  Thou  avenged  on 
them,  and  help  us  for  Thy  name's  sake. — Such 
thoughts  make  the  heart  cheerful  and  give  it  confi- 
dence and  boldness  to  pour  itself  out  in  prayer. 
For  this  reason  the  holy  Prophets  also  prayed  in 
this  wray,  constantly  pleading  the  name  of  God,  as 
David  does  in  the  44.  Psalm :  "Yea,  for  Thy  sake 
are  we  killed  all  the  day  long ;  we  are  counted  as 
sheep  for  the  slaughter."  Let  the  preceding,  about 
Simon's  being  compelled  by  the  soldiers  to  suffer 
for  the  sake  of  the  Lord  Jesus  bv  bearing  His  cross, 
be  said,  then,  for  the  special  purpose  of  teaching 
the  distinction  between  the  Christian's  cross  and 
the  wicked  man's  punishment  for  sin. 

The  second  thing  to  be  learned  here  is  that  Simon 
not  only  bears  the  cross,  but  also  bears  it  because 
he  is  compelled  to  do  so.  For  if  he  would  have 
had  his  own  will  in  the  matter,  he  would  have  gone 
his  way  and  cared  very  little  what  was  becoming  of 
Christ  and  His  cross.  But  the  soldiers  seize  him 
against  his  will,  and  compel  him  to  carry  the  cross. 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  151 

This  subject  teaches  us  also  very  nicely  what 
really  is  and  what  is  not  a  cross.  Monks  and  nuns 
who  are  in  earnest,  lead  an  austere  life  and  oppress 
themselves  with  the  most  difficult  labor.  But  this 
is  not  the  cross  of  Christ  which  Simon  bears. 
Why?  Because  they  have  placed  it  on  themselves 
from  their  own  free  choice  and  without  the  com- 
mand of  God.  And  just  so  the  Anabaptists  do. 
But  the  proverb,  "what  is  done  from  choice  is  done 
with  ease,"  might  be  applied  to  such  suffering; 
since  it  is  self-imposed,  aud  might  be  avoided,  it 
cannot  hurt  very  badly.  But  when  one  is  compelled 
to  bear  the  cross  and  does  it  reluctantly,  then  it 
becomes  heavy  and  oppressive.  It  is  this  idea  that 
Christ  expresses  when  He  says,  John  21,  to  Peter: 
"When  thou  wast  young,  thou  girdedst  thyself,  and 
walkedst  whither  thou  wouldest ;  but  when  thou 
shalt  be  old,  thou  shalt  stretch  forth  thy  hands,  and 
another  shall  gird  thee,  and  cany  thee  whither 
thou  wouldest  not."  Let  Christians  be  ever  so 
perfect,  flesh  and  blood  cannot  help  but  shudder  at, 
fear  and  shun  the  cross. 

For  this  reason  this  man  is  called  Simon  or 
Simeon,  which,  in  his  language,  means  one  who 
takes  advice  and  obeys.  For  that  is  true  obedience 
which,  though  it  prefers  to  be  exempt  from  this  or 
that  suffering,  still  yields  to  it  willingly,  following 
and  letting  itself  be  led,  simply  because  it  sees  that 
God  desires  it  so.  All  true  Christians  can  be  called 
by  this  name  Simon.  For  although  their  flesh  and 
blood  would  like  to  rest  and  be  excused  from  pain, 
they  still  obey,  heed  the  Word,  are  submissive  to 
to  the  will  of  God,  and  help  the  Lord  Jesus  bear 
His  cross. 


152  NINTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

The  third  thing  to  be  learned  here  is  to  distin- 
guish -between  Simon  and  the  Lord  Jesus.  Simon 
bears  the  cross  after  the  Lord  Jesus  as  far  as  the 
place  of  execution  and  then  goes  away ;  while 
Christ  allows  Himself  to  be  nailed  to  the  cross  and 
dies  on  it.  This  is  the  true  difference  between  the 
suffering  of  Christ  and  our  suffering.  Our  suffering- 
does  not  earn  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  This  is  accom- 
plished alone  by  the  sufferings  of  our  Lord  Jesus. 
He  alone  is  the  true  Sacrifice  and  Lamb  of  God 
which  pays  and  atones  for  the  sins  of  all  the  world 
and,  for  this  reason,  hangs  upon  the  cross.  But 
Simon  merely  carries  the  cross  ;  that  is,  our  bearing 
the  cross  does  nothing  more  with  the  old  Adam 
than  molest  him,  and  nothing  more  with  sin  than 
oppose  it.  But  it  is  the  work  and  merit  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  alone  that  forgives  our  sins. 

Thus,  beloved,  you  perceive  that  this  Simon  is  a 
pattern  for  all  Christians,  for  they  must  bear  the 
cross  of  the  Lord  Jesus ;  and  that  it  is  not,  however, 
on  account  of  this  bearing  that  their  sins  are  for- 
given. The  bearing  of  the  cross  serves  to  restrain 
the  old  Adam,  lest  he  become  too  wild.  But  when 
the  cross  is  to  be  the  means  of  the  forgiveness  of 
sins,  it  will  not  do  for  Simon  to  bear  it,  but  then 
Christ  must  hang  and  die  on  it.  This  is  the  reason 
why  Simon  is  set  free.  By  Christ's  death  we  are 
set  free  from  death  and  receive  eternal  life,  as  this 
is  clearly  pointed  out  in  that  part  of  our  text  which 
we  are  about  to  treat. 

St.  Luke  tells  us  that  as  the  Lord  was  led  out  of 
Jerusalem,  some  women  followed,  bewailing  and 
lamenting  Him.     The  Lord  turned  to  them   and 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  15-5 

told  them  not  to  weep  for  Him,  but  for  themselves 
and  for  their  children,  because  the  time  was  coming 
when  the  woman  without  child  would  be  called 
blessed,  and  when,  as  Hosea  says,  men  would  desire 
the  mountains  to  fall  upon  and  cover  them.  But 
the  reason  of  such  calamity  and  woe  was,  that  since 
Christ,  the  green  tree,  was  so  badly  treated,  they, 
the  dry  and  barren  tree,  would  be  treated  still 
worse. 

Although  these  things  referred  especially  to  the 
Jews  of  that  day,  they  still  show  us  how  to  make 
proper  use  of  our  Lord  Jesus'  sufferings ;  first,  by 
revealing  sin  as  a  terrible  burden, — the  Son  of  God 
Himself  being  compelled  to  die  on  account  of  our 
sin;  and  then,  by  consoling  us  against  sin  by 
means  of  Christ's  sufferings, — the  Son  of  God  hav- 
ing rendered  satisfaction  and  atoned  for  sin  upon 
the  cross. 

Xotice,  first,  the  difference  which  the  Lord  makes 
between  Himself  and  the  Jews,  for  on  this  difference 
a  great  deal  depends.  Himself  He  compares  to  a 
young  tree,  so  beautiful  and  fruitful  that  it  should 
be  bought  for  a  garden,  and  by  no  means  cut  down 
and  cast  into  the  fire.  Nevertheless,  the  latter  is 
done.  God  lets  Him  be  cut  down,  that  is,  He  lets 
Him  now  be  led  out  to  the  cross,  where  He  is  to  be 
slain  as  the  greatest  malefactor,  notwithstanding* 
that  He  is  such  a  fine,  sappy,  beautiful  and  fruitful 
tree.  He  is  without  all  sin  and  walks  before  God 
in  perfect  obedience,  and  all  things  He  says  and 
does  are  purely  noble  and  precious  fruits,  every  one 
of  which  is  a  joy  to  God  and  a  blessing  to  us.  In 
short,  we  find  nothing  about  the  Lord  Jesus  that  is 
not  grace,  life  and  salvation.     The  Jews   on  the 


154  NINTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

other  hand,  He  compares  to  an  old,  barren,  dry  and 
rotten  tree,  which  is  altogether  out  of  place  in  the 
garden,  and  only  fit  to  be  felled  and  burned.  For 
they  did  not  heed  God's  Word.  John's  preaching 
brought  no  fruit;  they  said  John  had  a  devil. 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  Himself  and  His  Apostles 
preached.  Neither  did  they  pay  any  attention  to 
Him,  but  called  Him  a  wine-bibber,  said  He  had  a 
devil,  and  hated  and  envied  Him  so  bitterly  that 
they  had  no  peace  until  they  had  brought  Him 
from  life  to  death.  Nevertheless,  since  they  had 
Moses,  the  law,  and  the  external  worship  of  God  in 
the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  they  dared  to  think  that 
they  were  God's  people,  that  they  were  living 
saints,' indeed,  and  that  they  rested  in  God's  bosom. 
Now,  it  is  easy  to  imagine,  if  the  Son  of  God,  who 
is  a  fine,  fruitful  tree,  is  visited  by  so  severe  a  judg- 
ment of  God,  how  infinitely  severe  shall  be  the  fate 
of  the  terribly  great  sinners,  the  dry  trees.  It  was 
the  Lord's  desire  that  the  Jews  should  understand 
this  now  and  not  continue  in  their  sin;  that,  by 
seeing  Him,  who,  though  innocent,  was  crucified 
and  killed,  they  might  learn  to  fear  the  wrath  of 
God  and  to  flee  from  it  by  true  repentance.  Little, 
however,  did  this  warning  avail.  The  dry  tree 
could  yield  no  fruit,  and  so  was  cast  into  the  fire. 
History  shows  this,  where  it  tells  us  that  about 
forty  years  after  Christ's  death  a  most  terrible 
judgment  came  upon  the  Jews  for  their  sin,  the 
Eomans  desolating  their  whole  land.  For  them- 
selves, therefore,  even  as  the  Lord  here  counsels 
and  exhorts  them  to  do,  and  not  for  Christ,  should 
they  have  wept,  acknowledging  their  sins  and 
repenting. 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  155 

We  too,  however,  should  take  this  advice  to 
heart.  For  we  all  must  confess  that  we  have  many 
and  great  sins  and,  therefore,  are  dry  and  unfruitful 
trees, — trees  which  do  not  and  can  not  yield  any- 
thing good.  What,  then,  shall  we  do  ?  ^Nothing 
except  weep  and  cry  to  God  for  pardon,  and  earn- 
estly resist  and  curb  our  evil,  sinful  nature  and 
inordinate  desires.  For  we  are  admonished  here, 
that  since  the  fruitful  tree  receives  such  shameful 
treatment,  God  permitting  His  dear  Son  to  suffer 
so  severely,  we  should  not  feel  secure,  nor  laugh, 
nor  skip  carelessly  along,  like  the  world,  which 
neither  hears  nor  knows  this  warning  of  the  Lord. 
But  we  should  weep,  we  should  discern  our  sins, 
we  should  heartily  lament  that  we  have  been  so 
corrupted  by  sin  and  that  we  have  become  unfruitful 
trees ;  we  should  fear  the  wrath  of  God  on  this 
account  and  pray  for  mercy  and  forgiveness. 

The  first  thing  tor  us  specially  to  learn  from  the 
sufferings  of  Christ  is  to  fear  God  and  His  anger  on 
account  of  our  sins,  and  not  to  give  the  reins  to 
sin.  This  we  must  do  for  ourselves,  for  we  are  a 
dry,  unfruitful  tree,  which  is  fit  only  for  the  fire. 

But  the  Lord  teaches  us  still  another  thing  here. 
We  should  weep  for  ourselves  and  for  our  children  ; 
but  for  Him  we  should  not  weep,  but  laugh,  rejoice 
and  be  of  good  cheer.  For  why  does  He  suffer? 
He  is  a  genuine,  good  and  fruitful  tree,  and  has  not 
deserved  such  a  cruel  fate,  but  bears  it  for  our  sin's 
sake.  And  as  He  now  proceeds  to  the  cross  it  is 
His  only  aim  to  perform  the  work  of  His  priestly 
office,  and  not  only  to  pray  for  sinners,  but  also  to 
sacrifice  His  body  and  His  life  upon  the  altar  of  the 


150  NINTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

cross  for  them,  so  that  this  offering  may  reconcile 
God,  liberate  poor  sinners  from  His  wrath,  and 
make  them  heirs  of  everlasting  life.  The  Lord, 
therefore,  does  not  want  ns  to  think  of  His  suffer- 
ings as  of  something  for  which  we  should  weep. 
He  wants  us  to  rejoice,  to  glorify  God,  to  thank 
Him  for  His  mercy,  to  praise,  to  extol  and  to  con- 
fess Him,  because  His  going  to  the  cross  has  brought 
to  us  the  grace  of  God,  freed  us  from  sin  and  death  , 
and  made  us  God's  dear  children. 

But  the  first  of  these  lessons  goes  doAvn  as  hard 
with  us  as  the  second,  and  the  second  as  hard  as 
the  first.  We  prefer  the  ways  of  the  world  to  the 
warning  and  advice  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  We  should 
weep  for  ourselves,  because  sin  has  polluted  us  so, 
and  because  so  terrible  a  judgment  awaits  us.  But 
where  is  the  man  to  be  found  who  weeps  ?  The 
deeper  men  sink  into  the  slime  of  sin,  the  more 
secure  and  joyful  they  grow.  Man  deems  his  joy, 
glory  and  life  perfect,  as  we  have  said  several  times 
before,  when  he  has  numerous  occasions  for  sinning. 
No  sum  of  money  can  satiate  the  misers  maw. 
The  more  advantage  the  greedy  man  can  take  and 
the  freer  access  to  gain  he  has,  the  happier  he 
becomes,  and  he  verily  imagines  that  he  has  done 
his  work  well.  Just  so  it  is  with  other  sins,  such 
as  anger,  lewdness,  envy,  pride.  Who  cares  for 
them?  Who  weeps  for  them?  They  are  loved  by 
every  one  and  every  one  yields  to  them. 

How  the  Jews  succeeded   with   such   work   we 

clearly  see.     It  behooves  us,  therefore,  to  repent 

and,  as  the  Lord  now  so  faithfully  exhorts  when  He 

is  about  to  die,  to  be  concerned  and  grieved  for 

9 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  157 

ourselves.  And  it  is  certain,  once  for  all,  that  our 
sins  shall  be  punished  with  eternal  death  unless  we 
are  freed  from  them. 

Even  as  we  are  disobedient  with  reference  to  the 
first  lesson,  for  no  one  weeps  and  none  lament  their 
sins;  so  do  we  disobey  in  regard  to  the  second,  for 
no  cne  wishes  heartily  to  rejoice  over  the  dear 
Lord  Jesus.  Money,  possessions,  honor  and  the 
like,  mean  and  little  though  they  be,  rejoice  the 
heart ;  while  that  which  is  exclusively  grace  and 
life  and  salvation  finds  the  heart  almost  chilled  and 
dead,  and  void  of  all  longing  and  desire  and  heart- 
felt eagerness  to  possess  this  treasure. 

These  lessons,  when  attention  is  paid  merely  to 
their  words,  are,  indeed,  easily  and  quickly  learned  ; 
but  when,  on  the  other  hand,  they  are  to  be  mas- 
tered in  their  relation  to  our  heart  and  sinful 
nature,  the  task  is  most  difficult  and  even  impossible. 
Our  determination  to  invert  these  lessons  is  heredi- 
tary. Instead  of  weeping  for  our  sins,  we  laugh 
about  them.  Instead  of  laughing  and  exulting 
with  all  our  heart  that  Christ  has  died  for  us,  we 
weep.  JSTow,  we  either  regard  this  rejoicing  on 
account  of  Jesus  as  not  superior  to  the  more  popular 
joys  of  the  world ;  or  else  sin  and  the  wrath  of  God 
have  seized  our  souls  and  banished  from  them  the 
desire  and  the  ability  to  be  comforted.  Christ's 
uWeep  not  for  me"  hardly  penetrates  the  heart. 
We  weep  and  lament  and  despair  as  though  Christ 
had  not  died,  not  paid  for  our  sins,  not  averted 
God's  anger,  and  not  delivered  us  from  death. 

Before  either  lesson  can  be  learned,  therefore, 
prayer  is  necessary.     We  must  pray,  first,  that  God, 


158  NINTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

by  His  Holy  Spirit,  would  move  our  hearts,  disgust 
us  with  and  dissuade  us  from  sin,  and  shield  us 
from  false  security.  We  must  pray,  again,  that  He 
would  kindle  in  our  souls  the  flame  of  consolation 
against  sin,  and  seal  there  the  confidence  in  the 
sacrifice  and  satisfaction  of  Christ  Jesus ;  so  that 
we  may  truly  worship  God,  like  poor  sinners  fear 
Him,  abide  in  repentance  and  trust  in  His  goodness 
with  all  our  heart;  for  He  does  not  wish  us  harm, 
seeing  that  for  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins  He  deliv- 
ered His  Only  Begotten  into  death,  even  the  death 
of  the  cross.  May  our  dear  Lord  Jesus  grant  us 
this.     Amen. 


TENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

Christ  Nailed  to  the  Cross. — His  Deeds, 
Sufferings  and  Words  on  the  Cross. 

Matt  27,  33-56.  And  when  the}'  were  come  nnto  a  place  called 
Golgotha,  that  is  to  say,  a  place  of  a  skull,  they  gave  Him  vinegar  to 
drink  mingled  with  gall :  and  when  He  had  tasted  thereof,  He  would 
not  drink.  Aud  they  crucified  Him,  and  parted  His  garments,  cast- 
ing lots  :  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet, 
They  parted  my  garments  among  them,  and  upon  my  vesture  did 
they  cast  lots.  And  sitting  down  they  watched  Him  there;  and  set 
up  over  His  head  His  accusation  written,  This  is  Jesus  the  King  of 
the  Jews.  Then  were  there  two  thieves  crucified  with  Him  ;  one  on 
the  right  hand,  and  another  on  the  left.  And  they  that  passed  by 
reviled  Him,  wagging  their  heads,  and  saying,  Thou  that  destroyest 
the  temple,  and  buildest  it  in  three  days,  save  Thyself.  If  Thou  be 
the  Son  of  God,  come  down  from  the  cross.  Likewise  also  the  chief 
priests  mocking  Him,  with  the  scribes  and  elders,  said,  He  saved 
others  ;  Himself  He  cannot  save.  If  He  be  the  King  of  I&rael,  let  Him 
now  come  down  from  the  cross,  and  we  will  believe  Him.  He  trusted 
in  God  ;  let  Him  deliver  Him  now,  if  He  will  have  Him  :  for  He  said, 
I  am  the  Son  of  God.  The  thieves  also,  which  were  crucified  with 
Him,  cast  the  same  in  His  teeth.  Now  from  the  sixth  hour  there  was 
darkness  over  all  the  land  unto  the  ninth  hour.  And  about  the  ninth 
hour  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Eli,  Eli,  lama  sabachthani  ? 
that  is  to  saj-,  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  Thou  forsaken  me?  Some 
of  them  that  stood  there,  when  they  heard  that,  said,  This  man  calleth 
for  Elias.  And  straightway  one  of  them  ran,  and  took  a  sponge,  and 
filled  it  with  vinegar,  and  put  it  on  a  reed,  and  gave  Him  to  drink. 
The  rest  said,  Let  be,  let  us  see  whether  Elias  will  come  to  save  Him. 
Jesus,  when  He  had  cried  again  with  a  loud  voice,  yielded  up  the 
ghost.  And,  behold,  the  vail  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  twain  from 
the  top  to  the  bottom  ;  and  the  earth  did  quake,  and  the  rocks  rent; 
and  the  graves  were  opened ;  and  many  bodies  of  the  saints  which 
slept  arose,  and  came  out  of  the  graves  after  His  resurrection,  and 
went  into  the  holy  city,  and  appeared  unto  many.  Now  when  the 
centurion,  and  they  that  were  with  him,  watching  Jesus,  saw  the 
earthquake,  and  those  things  that  were  done,  they  feared  greatly, 
saying,  Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God.  And  many  women  were 
there  beholding  afar  off,  which  followed  Jesus  from  Galilee,  minister- 
ing unto  Him  :  among  which  was  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary  the 
wiother  of  James  and  Joses,  and  the  mother  of  Zebedee's  children. 


160  TENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

Jach  of  the  four  Evangelists  makes  a  record  of 
H!|  the  things  that  occurred  on  the  cross.  Still, 
sometimes  one  of  them  mentions  a  thing  that  the 
rest  of  them  omit.  Before  treating,  therefore,  on 
the  true  doctrine  taught  in  our  text,  we  propose  to 
recite  the  history  of  the  cross  in  its  details  as 
furnished  by  all  four  Evangelists. 

When  the  soldiers  had  brought  the  Lord  Jesus 
to  Golgotha,  the  place  for  executing  public  male- 
factors, "they  gave  Him,"  as  Matthew  relates, 
"vinegar  to  drink  mingled  with  gall."  This  gall 
was  not  the  gall  of  a  live  beast,  but  a  compound  of 
all  sorts  of  bitter  herbs.  This  drink,  as  some  sup- 
pose, was  given  to  dying  criminals,  to  hasten  their 
departure.  But  the  Lord  would  not  drink  of  it, 
for  He  had  willingly  yielded  to  this  death.  The 
word  gall  is  used  in  this  sense  in  Deut.  29,  Ps.  69, 
Jer.  8,  and  in  other  places.  Immediately  after  this, 
the  soldiers  nailed  Him  to  the  cross  and  two  male- 
factors with  Him,  one  on  His  right  and  one  on  His 
left.  The  Lord  Jesus,  however,  as  the  true  priest 
who  must  now  attend  to  His  priestly  office,  prayed 
for  those  who  crucified  Him  and  for  all  poor  sinners, 
saying:  "Father,  forgive  them;  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do."  We  shall  have  occasion  to  see  the 
fruit  of  this  prayer  when  we  come  to  speak  of  the 
malefactor  on  the  right  of  Christ ;  for  to  him  it  was 
that  Gospel  and  sermon,  from  which  he  learned  to 
know  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God,  that  He  hanged 
upon  the  cross  as  the  atonement  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  Avorld,  and  that  after  His  bodily  death  He 
would  live  and  reign  with  God,  His  Father,  in 
eternity. 


SERMONS  OX  THE  GOSPELS.  101 

The  Evangelists  announce  that  Pilate  placed  the 
superscription,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  King  of  the 
Jews,"  written  in  three  languages,  over  the  head  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.  It  was  customary  to  do  this,  sc 
that  every  one  might  know  why  people  were 
executed,  and  take  warning.  The  superscription 
over  the  head  of  the  Lord  Jesus  was  to  serve  the 
special  purpose  of  admonishing  the  Jews,  even 
while  He  was  hanging  miserably  on  the  cross,  not 
to  be  offended  in  Him,  but  to  take  Him  for  their 
King.  But  it  was  in  vain  !  The  title  made  them 
so  indignant  that  they  accosted  Pilate  thus  :  "Write 
not,  The  King  of  the  Jews ;  but  that  He  said,  I  am 
the  King  of  the  Jews."  But  Pilate  was  much  dis- 
pleased with  them  and  would  not  alter  the  super- 
scription, which  remains  an  eternal  testimony 
against  the  Jews,  that  they  could  not  rest  until  they 
had  crucified  their  King. 

Hereupon  the  soldiers,  four  in  number,  took  the 
Lord  Jesus'  garments,  separating  them  into  four 
parts.  His  coat,  however,  which  was  without  seam, 
being  woven,  they  did  not  rend,  but  cast  lots  for  it. 
And  John  says  that  this  had  been  prophesied  in  the 
Scriptures.  He  wrould  have  us  understand  by  this 
that  the  taking  of  the  Lord's  garments  was  no 
accident,  but  done  by  God's  special  counsel,  that  it 
might  serve  the  Church  as  an  emblem  ;  for  it  shows, 
first,  that  the  world  is  not  satisfied  even  when  it 
has  put  Christians  to  death,  but  takes  what  little 
property  Christians  may  have  and  plunders  them. 
This  we  can  see  in  our  old  histories,  where  Julian 
and  other  blood-hounds  and  tyrants  drove  poor 
Christians  away  from  their  possessions  and  took 
from  them  what  they  had.     We  see  it  not  there 


1G2  TENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

only,  but  we  have  living  instances  of  ty rants  and 
bishops  who  are  well  enough  pleased  when  their 
subjects,  contrary  to  their  command,  eat  meat,  hear 
Lutheran  (as  they  call  them)  sermons,  -  receive  both 
bread  and  wine  in  the  Sacrament,  and  the  like;  for 
then  they  have  plausible  reasons  to  oppress  their 
subjects,  to  sell  or  trespass  upon  their  property,  or 
to  tax  them  as  they  please.  But  we  can  also  see 
how  much  richer  such  money  makes  them.  Money 
thus  unrighteously  extorted  devours  all  they  have, 
so  that  afterward  they  are  neither  blest  nor  pros- 
perous. 

The  soldiers'  casting  lots  upon  the  vesture  of  the 
Lord  can,  no  doubt,  be  applied  to  sects  and  heretics. 
The  Holy  Scriptures  is  the  coat  which  our  Lord 
Jesus  puts  on,  and  in  which  He  can  be  seen  and 
found.  This  coat  is  woven  throughout,  and  all  its 
threads  are  so  interlocked  that  it  cannot  be  cut  nor 
divided.  But  the  soldiers  who  crucify  Christ,  that 
is,  heretics  and  sects,  interest  themselves  in  this 
coat.  Their  chief  fault  is  that  they  want  the  whole 
coat,  that  is,  that  they  try  to  convince  every  one 
that  all  Scripture  harmonizes  with  them  and  their 
opinions.  She  Sacramentarians  of  our  day  serve  as 
an  illustration.  They  regard  the  words,  "This  is 
my  body,"  "This  is  my  blood,"  as  insignificant, 
saying  that  they  are  only  a  single  passage,  while 
the  Bible,  as  they  boast,  is  full  of  passages  which 
prove  Christ  to  be  no  longer  on  earth,  but  in  heaven. 

The  manner  of  all  sects  is  to  adopt  a  special 
opinion  without  consulting  the  Word;  this  opinion 
then  hangs  continually  before  their  eyes,  like  blue 
glasses,  and  everything  they  see  is  blue,  that  is, 
according    to    their   own    opinion.     But   they   are 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  163 

knaves,  as  St.  Paul  calls  them,  Eph.  4,  where  he 
admonishes  us  to  be  do  more  "carried  about  with 
every  wind  of  doctrine,  by  the  sleight  of  men,  and 
cunning  craftiness,  whereby  they  lie  in  wait  to 
deceive."  The  Greek  word  here  translated  "sleight" 
is  Jcybia,  which  means,  in  English,  playing  at  dice, 
or  trickery.  Now,  as  the  knave  masters  the  die  so 
that  it  must  fall  to  suit  him,  so  sects  and  fanatics 
master  the  Word.  Every  one  wants  the  whole  of 
it,  and  makes  use  of  the  die.  But  let  us  proceed 
with  the  history. 

As  'the  Lord  was  hanging  on  the  cross  He  saw 
His  mother  and  His  mother's  sister  and  John  with 
them,  and  "He  saith  unto  His  mother,  Woman, 
behold  thy  Son !  Then  saith  He  to  the  disciple, 
Behold  thy  mother !" 

After  this,  men  of  every  station  began  the  most 
heartless  scoffing.  The  chief  priests,  scribes  and 
elders,  as  Matthew  writes,  said,  "He  saved  others; 
let  Him  save  Himself,  if  He  be  Christ,  the  chosen 
of  God."  Witli  such  pointed,  poisonous  words 
they  wished  not  only  to  insult  the  Lord,  but  also 
to  alienate  from  Him  tb,e  people,  so  that  they  would 
not  respect  Him,  so  that  they  would  slight  and 
despise  all  the  miracles  they  had  seen  and  all  the 
sermons  they  had  heard,  and  so  that  they  would 
regard  Him  as  a  blasphemer.  The  soldiers,  who  as 
Gentiles  cared  not  about  God,  mocked  Him  in  a 
different  way,  giving  Him  vinegar  to  drink,  "and 
saying,  If  Thou  be  the  King  of  the  Jews,  save 
Thyself." 

Finally,  even  one  of  the  malefactors  "railed  on 
Him,  saying,  If  Thou  be  Christ,  save  Thyself  and 
us."     But  the  other  rebuked  him  for  this,  saying : 


104  TBNTH-PASSION-SBRMON. 

And  dost  even  thou  not  fear  God?  There  thou 
hangest  and  in  less  than  an  hour  or  two  all  will  be 
over  with  thee.  Thou  hast  all  thy  life  been  a 
scoundrel,  like  myself,  and  hast  well  deserved  this 
punishment.  Is  it  not  high  time  to  think  of  thy 
salvation  and  to  leave  such  foolish  words  unspoken? 
After  giving  this  reproof  he  turned  to  the  Lord 
and  said,  "Remember  me  when  Thou  comest  into 
Thy  kingdom."  And  Jesus  answered,  "Verily,  I 
say  unto  thee,  To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in 
paradise." 

In  the  mean  time  came  deep  darkness,  most 
unnatural  and  terrible.  The  agouy  of  death  pressed 
from  the  Lord  the  cry  :  "My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  Thou  forsaken  me  ?"  The  Jews  well  enough 
understood  the  meaning  of  this  cry;  still  their 
bitterness  and  their  fierceness  urged  them  to  pervert 
Christ's  word  and  say :  "This  man  calleth  for  Elias. 
....  Let  be,  let  us  see  whether  Elias  will  come  to 
save  Him !" 

"Jesus  knowing  that  all  things  were  now  accom- 
plished, that  the  Scripture  might  be  fulfilled,  saith, 
I  thirst."  Then  the  soldiers  took  a  sponge  filled 
"with  vinegar,  and  put  it  upon  hyssop,  and  put  it 
to  His  mouth.  When  Jesus  therefore  had  received 
the  vinegar,  He  said,  It  is  finished."  By  these 
words  He  meant  to  say:  The  world  and  the  devil 
have  now  done  all  that  lies  in  their  power,  and 
therefore  I  have  now  done  all  that  the  redemption 
of  mankind  demands,  and  all  that  the  Prophets 
have  foretold  in  Holy  Writ ;  the  work  is  done ! 
Then  He  "cried  with  a  loud  voice,  ....  Father, 
into  Thy  bauds  I  commend  my  spirit ;  and  having 
said  thus,  He  gave  up  the  ghost." 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  1G.~) 

Immediately  after,  "the  vail  of  the  temple  was 
rent  in  twain  from  the  top  to  the  bottom,"  as  a 
testimony  that  the  proper  offering  had  been  made 
to  God  at  last,  and  that  now  the  law  and  its  sacri- 
fices, which  were  merely  a  type  of  the  sacrifice  j  list 
made,  were  forever  abrogated.  The  temple  was  so 
constructed  that  the  people  stood  to  hear  the  Word 
of  God  and  to  sing  and  pray  in  the  apartment 
nearest  the  entrauce.  This  was  separated  from 
another  apartment,  which  was  similar  to  the  chan- 
cels in  some  of  our  churches,  into  which  were 
admitted  only  the  priests,  who  there  offered  sacri- 
fices and  did  the  other  things  belonging  to  the 
service  of  God,  and  which,  because  none  except  the 
holy  priests  dared  enter  there,  was  called  the  holy 
place.  Beyond  this  was  still  another  apartment, 
called  the  holy  of  holies,  in  which  stood  the  mercy- 
seat.  This  was  separated  from  the  holy  place  h} 
means  of  a  vail,  beyond  which  no  one  was  allowed 
to  go  except  the  high  priest,  and  he  only  once 
every  year,  when  he  offered  for  his  sins  and  for  the 
sins  of  all  the  people.  It  is  this  vail  that  the 
Evangelists  tell  us  was  rent.  They  mention  this  to 
testify  to  us  that  God's  services,  as  they  were  con- 
ducted in  the  holy  of  holies,  are  ended  and  abolished, 
and  this  because  the  highest  priest,  God's  Son,  has 
offered  now  unto  God,  His  Father,  for  the  sins  of 
the  whole  world,  not  the  blood  of  goats  and  calves, 
but  His  own  body  and  blood. 

This  rending  of  the  vail  took  place  while  the 
earth  quaked  so  violently  that  the  rocks  rent  and 
that  the  graves  of  numerous  saints  were  opened. 
Out  of  these  graves,  after  the  resurrection  of  Christ, 
arose  many  bodies  of  the  saints,  who  appeared  unto 


166  TENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

many  in  Jerusalem,  who  preached  concerning  the 
Lord  Jesus  and  who  testified  that  He  was  Christ, 
the  true  Messiah.  These  ascended  to  heaven  with 
the  Lord  Jesus  to  live  there  forever,  like  Enoch 
and  Elias,  whom  God  took  into  heaven  alive,  the 
former  before  the  flood  and  the  latter  three  thousand 
years  after  the  creation  of  the  world.  God  desired 
to  preserve  to  His  Church  in  every  age  a  sure 
testimony  of  the  resurrection  from  the  dead.  The 
number  was  greater,  however,  in  the  case  before  us 
than  it  had  ever  been  in  any  other  case. 

Now  when  the  centurion,  who  had  to  remain  at 
the  cross,  and  others,  saw  the  earthquake  and  the 
other  unusual  "things  that  were  done,  they  feared 
greatly,  saying,  Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God." 
"And  all  the  people  that  came  together  to  that 
sight,  beholding  the  things  which  were  clone,  smote 
their  breasts,  and  returned." 

All  this,  according  to  the  Evangelists,  took  place 
at  the  cross  before  Christ  expired.  But  we  cannot 
consider  the  whole  of  it  in  one  sermon.  For  the 
present,  therefore,  we  shall  confine  ourselves  to  two 
points.  First,  why  the  Evangelists  quote  more 
Scripture  when  they  give  the  history  of  the  passion 
than  on  any  other  subject.  Secondly,  why.  God 
destined  His  Son  to  die  upon  the  cross. 

The  Evangelists  cite  so  many  Scripture  passages 
for  every  part  of  the  history  of  Christ's  sufferings, 
in  order  to  combat  the  offence  occasioned  at  sight 
of  these  sufferings,  which  must  have  sorely  tried 
the  disciples  in  particular.  Not  only  the  unbeliev- 
ing Jews,  but  even  the  disciples  of  Jesus  were 
offended  at  Christ's  dying  such  a  miserable  and 
ignominious  death.     Both  the  Jews  and  the  disci- 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  107 

pies  thought  that  if  this  were  Christ  He  would 
surely  build  up  again  the  poor,  oppressed  and 
ruined  kingdom.  Why,  even  after  Christ's  resur- 
rection the  disciples  continued  to  think  in  this  way, 
for  they  lamented  that  the  Lord  was  about  to 
ascend  to  heaven  and  depart  from  the  earth,  and  at 
the  mount  of  Olives  they  asked  Him,  "Lord,  wilt 
Thou  at  this  time  restore  again  the  kingdom  to 
Israel?" 

When  the  Lord  had  now  fallen  into  the  hands  of 
His  enemies  and  had  suffered  Himself  to  be  slain 
on  the  cross,  all  the  hopes  which  the  disciples  had 
entertained  for  His  glory  vanished.  The  two  disci- 
ples who  went  to  Emmaus  freely  confessed  this, 
saying:  "We  trusted  that  it  had  been  He  which 
should  have  redeemed  Israel,"  as  if  they  would  say: 
It  is  all  over  now ;  we  hoped  for  things  different 
from  those  which  we  have  realized.  The  Jews 
were  offended  still  more  seriously  ;  for,  because  the 
Lord  was  dying  so  shamefully  and  would  not  save 
Himself,  they  regarded  Him,  in  spite  of  His  miracles 
find  sermons,  as  an  impostor,  and  tauntingly  de- 
manded that  He  should  come  down  from  the  cross 
if  He  were  the  Son  of  God,  so  that  they  might 
believe  in  Him.  The  Jews  hated  Jesus,  the  disciples 
loved  Him;  the  Jews  rejoiced  in  His  misfortune, 
the  disciples  were  saddened  and  discouraged  by  it. 
Notwithstanding  that  they  were  thus  differently 
disposed  toward  Christ,  they  all,  both  disciples  and 
Jews,  thought  that  it  was  all  over  with  Him  now 
and  that  He  was  not  the  true  Messiah. 

But  how  must  we  account  for  this  opinion  and 
for  such  offence?  Simply  thus:  they  left  the 
Scriptures    out   of    sight    and    had    not   diligently 


1(58  TENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

studied  the  Prophets.  For  it  is  written  in  the 
Prophets,  Isa.  53,  that  the  Messiah  must  suffer  and 
die.  The  Scriptures,  Isa.  53,  declare  that  He  should 
be  "numbered  with  the  transgressors."  In  the  41. 
Ps.  and  in  the  11.  chap,  of  Zech.  we  are  told  that 
His  "own  familiar  friend"  should  betray  Him  and 
sell  Him  for  "thirty  pieces  of  silver."  The  22.  Ps. 
plainly  tells  us  that  the  soldiers  should  part  His 
garments  among  them,  and  cast  lots  upon  His 
vesture,  while  the  69.  declares  that  when  He  shall 
thirst  in  His  agony  upon  the  cross  they  shall  give 
Him  vinegar  to  drink.  It  had  been  prophesied 
that  there  should  not  a  bone  of  Him  be  broken  and 
that  a  spear  should  pierce  His  side,  Ex.  12,  Zech. 
12,  &c.  Kow,  if  the  disciples  and  the  Jews  had 
carefully  studied  the  writings  of  the  Prophets,  in- 
stead of  finding  cause  for  offence  in  Christ's  suffer- 
ings and  scandalous  death,  they  would  have  found 
comfort  therein.  If  they  had  studied  the  Scrip- 
tures, the  fact  that  it  came  to  pass  just  as  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  cannot  lie  nor  err,  through  the  Prophets 
and  in  the  Psalms,  had  predicted  concerning  Christ, 
would  have  led  them  to  the  firm  conclusion  that 
this  was  the  Messiah  indeed.  But  they  gave  no 
heed  to  the  Scriptures,  and  therefore  could  not 
resist  the  offence  which,  like  a  flood,  swept  them 
away,  so  that  they  entirely  lost  Christ. 

The  Apostles  personally  experienced  the  disad- 
vantage of  departing  from  the  Scriptures  and  not 
following  them,  and  therefore  continually  quote 
the  Scriptures  as  they  write  the  history  of  the  pas- 
sion. By  so  doing  they  would  say :  It  seems  ridic- 
ulous that  the  crucified  Jesus,  who  hangs  there  so 
miserably  upon  the  cross,  and  who  was  treated  so 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  16£> 

unmercifully  and  with  such  excessive  wantonness 
by  the  soldiers,  should  be  the  Son  of  God  and  the 
true  Messiah.  But  let  us  not  be  offended  in  Him  ! 
If  we  notice  what  the  Holy  Spirit  had  predicted 
long  before  through  the  Prophets  concerning  the 
Messiah,  we  shall  find  that  this  Jesus  is  the  true 
Messiah,  and  that  He  bore  what  had  been  appointed 
for  the  Messiah  to  bear.  It  is  most  certainly  true 
that  if  we  do  not  hold  to  the  Word  we  shall  not  be 
able  to  defend  ourselves  against  the  least  offence. 
We  are  lost  unless  we  take  refuge  in  the  Word. 

Every  one  should,  for  this  reason,  flee,  as  if  the 
devil  himself  were  in  pursuit,  from  sects  and  fanatics, 
like  the  Pope,  the  Sacramentarians  and  others,  who 
try  to  substitute  human  notions  for  the  written 
Word.  If  we  yield  to  such  as  these,  we  step,  as  it 
were,  from  the  rock  into  the  quicksand,  where,  the 
more  we  try  to  gain  a  foot-hold,  the  more  we  sink, 
and  where  it  is  impossible  to  save  ourselves.  God's 
Word  alone  is  the  true  and  enduring  rock  that 
affords  a  sure  foundation.  Let  him,  therefore,  wrho 
would  walk  in  the  right  way,  see  that  he  has  God's 
Word.  When  Christ  says,  "This  is  my  body," 
"this  is  my  blood,"  let  him  believe  and  not  follow 
the  deceivers  who  say,  It  is  mere  bread,  it  is  mere 
wine.  When  Christ  says,  "He  that  believeth  on 
me  shall  never  see  death,"  let  him  believe  it  and 
not  obey  the  Pope,  who  points  him  to  the  sacrifice 
of  the  mass,  to  the  intercession  of  saints  and  to 
good  works.  Then  he  may  be  sure  that  he  is  right, 
and  that  he  has  escaped  the  offence. 

We  now  propose  briefly  to  consider  also  the 
second  point,  viz. :  why  it  was  decreed  in  God's 
especial   counsel   that   God's   Son,   our  Lord   and 


170  TENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

Saviour,  should  die  just  as  He  did ;  for  the  Jews 
held  the  death  upon  the  cross  as  the  most  offensive 
and  disgraceful,  and  as  far  more  detestable  than  we 
hold  the  death  upon  the  gallows  or  the  wheel.  We 
find  the  reason  for  this  written  Deut.  21 :  uAnd  if 
a  man  have  committed  a  sin  worthy  of  death,  and 
he  be  to  be  put  to  death,  and  thou  hang  him  on  a 
tree,  his  body  shall  not  remain  all  night  upon  the 
tree,  but  thou  shalt  in  any  wise  bury  him  that  day; 
(for  he  that  is  hanged  is  accursed  of  God ;)  that 
thy  land  be  not  defiled,  which  the  Lord  thy  God 
giveth  thee  for  an  inheritance." 

Now,  it  is  indifferent  whether  God  pronouuces 
this  severe  judgment  upon  those  banged  in  view  of 
the  future  calamity  that  His  Son  Himself  should  be 
thus  slain,  or  in  view  of  the  past  calamity  that 
disobedient  man  fell  in  Paradise  and  ate  of  the 
forbidden  fruit.  The  chief  and  most  important 
consideration  here  is,  that  we  should  learn  and 
remember  well  that  God  calls  all  those  accursed 
who  die  on  the  tree.  For  from  this  it  immediately 
follows  that,  since  Christ  also  died  on  a  tree,  He 
too  became  a  curse  and  was  called  accursed.  Hence 
the  devil  and  the  world  took  particular  delight  in 
bringing  upon  Him  that  very  death  which  God 
Himself  had  called  accursed.  Paul,  however, 
teaches  us  how  we  must  understand  this  passage  in 
Deut.,  and  whether  its  contents  ought  to  be  a  sub- 
ject for  joy  or  for  offence;  for  in  speaking  of  it  he 
says,  Gal.  3  : 

"Christ  hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the 
law,  being  made  a  curse  for  us ;  for  it  is  written, 
Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree ;  that 
the  blessing  of  Abraham  might  come  on  the  Gen- 


SERMONS  OX  THE  GOSPELS.  171 

tiles  through  Jesus  Christ;  that  we  might  receive 
the  promise  of  the  Spirit  through  faith." 

We  should,  by  all  means,  consider  this  passage 
carefully.  Paul  very  nicely  brings  the  two  little 
words,  "curse"  and  "blessing,"  side  by  side,  and 
leads  us  back  to  the  promise  made  to  Abraham 
when  Gol  said,  "In  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations 
of  the  earth  be  blessed."  For  it  follows  that,  if  in 
Abraham's  seed  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  were  to 
be  blessed,  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  must  have 
been  under  the  curse;  else  they  would  not  have 
needed  a  promise  of  blessing.  Again,  this  seed,  in 
which  the  blessing  was  to  come,  must  have  been 
that  only  blessed  seed,  with  which  God  is  not 
wroth,  but  which  He  accompanies  with  pure  grace 
and  blessing.  It  is  plain,  however,  who  this  seed 
-of  Abraham  is ;  namely,  Jesus  Christ,  born  of  the 
virgin  Mary,  the  Only  Begotten  of  the  Father,  and 
the  only  one  full  of  grace  and  truth.  All  others, 
counting  from  Adam  to  the  very  last  man,  are  not 
children  of  grace  by  nature,  but  God  is  angry  with 
them  and  hostile  to  them,  and  they  are  not  blessed, 
but  cursed.    And  why  ?  Because  they  all  are  sinners. 

But  behold  the  result!  The  blessed  seed  of  Abra- 
ham is  nailed  to  that  tree,  or  cross,  to  which  God 
refers  when  He  says,  "Cursed  is  every  one  that 
hangeth  on  a  tree  ;"  and  it  is  therefore  no  longer 
called  the  blessed  seed,  but  the  accursed.  Paul 
comes  out  boldly  with  this,  saying,  Christ  was 
"made  a  curse."     Let  us  hear  the  reason  for  this. 

It  is  we  who,  on  account  of  our  sins,  are  a  curse, 
and  under  the  wrath  of  God.  Christ,  the  only 
begotten  Son  of  God,  is  full  of  grace  and  truth. 
How,  then,  dees  He  come  to  he  nailed  to  the  tree? 


172  TENTH  PASSION-SERMOX. 

Why  does  He  thrust  Himself  under  the  wrath  of 
God?  It  was  for  our  sake,  Paul  tells  us;  "He  was 
made  a  curse  for  us ;"  He  desired  to  bear  God's 
wrath  and  atone  for  our  sins,  that  we  might  be 
made  blessed,  that  is,  receive  the  Holy  Spirit,  be 
freed  from  sin,  and  become  the  children  of  God. 
This  may  be  illustrated  by  the  case  of  a  poor  beggar 
who  has  many  debts,  but  is  unable  to  pay  them ; 
another  man,  who  is  able  to  pay  these  debts,  comes 
to  his  assistance,  becomes  his  surety,  thus  making 
himself  a  debtor,  and  pays  the  poor  man's  debts. 
Paul  expresses  this  very  nicety,  Rom.  8 :  "The  law 
could  not"  deliver  us  from  sin  and  death,  and  so 
God  Himself  helped  us.  He  sent  "His  own  Son  in 
the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,"  that  is,  His  Son  became 
man,  assuming  our  flesh  and  blood.  And  God  "for 
sin,  condemned  sin  in  the  flesh,"  that  is,  God  has 
made  us  free  from  sin  through  His  only  begotten 
Son,  who  became  a  sin-offering  and  had  to  atone 
for  sin,  thus  bringing  the  blessing  of  Abraham 
upon  us  who  were  under  the  curse.  In  2  Cor.  5r 
Paul  himself  interprets  this  latter:  God  "hath  made 
Him  to  be  sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin ;  that  we 
might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  Him." 
Christ,  therefore,  became  both  "a  curse,"  and 
afterward  also  "sin,"  that  is,  a  sin-offering,  upon 
which  rest  the  sins  of  all  men,  and  hence  also  the 
wrath  of  God  and  a  miserable  death.  Since  these 
things  rest  upon  this  offering,  we  are  relieved,  for 
they  rest  on  us  no  longer.  This  is  the  reason  why 
John  the  Baptist  calls  Him  a  Lamb,  meaning  a 
sheep  for  the  slaughter,  a  Sacrifice,  appointed  by 
God  to  take  away  the  sins  of  the  whole  world. 
And  the  Lord  Himself  says,  John  12 :  "And  I,  if  I 
9* 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  178 

be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto 
me."  And  again,  John  3 :  "As  Moses  lifted  up 
the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son 
of  man  be  lifted  up ;  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

Paul  says  that  he  did  not  know  anything  and 
was  "determined  not  to  know  anything,"  "save 
Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified."  Christ  was 
-crucified  so  that  He  might  sanctify,  deliver  and 
justify  us,  who,  had  we  been  left  to  ourselves, 
would  have  eternally  remained  and  perished  under 
sin  and  death,  and  under  the  t}^ranny  of  Satan. 

And  should  we  now  be  offended  at  the  cross? 
Was  it,  after  all,  an  ignominious  death  ?  We  should 
heartily  thank  God  that  His  Son  hangs  upon  the 
cross,  bearing  the  curse  under  which  we  should 
still  be  on  account  of  our  sins.  There  He  hangs  as 
one  condemned,  and  as  one  whom  God  hates  and 
visits  now  with  shame  and  want  and  agony.  This 
is  so,  Paul  says,  for  thy  sake  and  for  my  sake,  that 
the  blessing  might  come  on  us.  For  if  the  curse 
had  continued  to  rest  on  us,  we  would  never  have 
received  the  blessing.  But  lo,  the  blessed  Seed 
draws  near  and  takes  the  curse,  which  rests  on  us, 
upon  Himself,  and  the  blessing,  which  rests  on 
Him,  He  gives  to  us.  Since  He  would  and  should 
become  a  curse  for  us,  no  other  death  except  this 
•death  on  the  cross  was  suitable,  for  this  is  the 
death  which  God's  Word  had  declared  accursed. 

Let  us,  then,  thoroughly  learn  here  to  judge,  not 
according  to  what  the  eye  perceives,  but  according 
to  what  the  Word  of  God  declares.  According  to 
appearances  the  Lord  Jesus'  death  is  a  shameful 
death  and,  as  God  Himself  calls   it,  an  accursed 


174:  TENTH  PASSION-SERMOX. 

death  ;  and  the  tree  on  which  He  dies,  an  execrable 
tree, — a  cursed  cross,  and  this  because  all  our  sins 
hang  on  it.  For  sin  and  the  curse,  or  God's  anger, 
and  every  misfortune, — all  these  belong  together. 
Therefore  Isaiah  says :  "Many  were  astonished  at 
Thee;  His  visage  was  so  marred  more  than  any 
man,  and  His  form  more  than  the  sons  of  men." 
Again :  "When  we  shall  see  Him,  there  is  no 
beauty  that  we  should  desire  Him.  He  is  despised 
and  rejected  of  men ;  a  man  of  sorrows,  and 
acquainted  with  grief:  and  we  hid  as  it  were  our 
faces  from  Him;  He  was  despised,  and  we  esteemed 
Him  not."  This  is  the  way  these  things  appear, 
and  it  is  impossible  for  human  reason  to  see  them 
in  a  different  light,  because  God  calls  every  one 
accursed  who  dies  on  a  tree.  The  cross  is  cursed ; 
He  who  hangs  on  it  is  cursed ;  the  cause  of  His 
hanging  there  is  also  cursed,  for  sin  demands  the 
curse ;  and  the  greater  the  number  of  sins  that  lie 
on  the  Lord  Jesus,  the  greater  also  the  curse. 

But  let  us  look  a  little  further  and  find  what 
follows  from  this  that  Christ,  the  blessed  Seed,  dies 
such  an  accursed  death  and  becomes  a  curse  for  us 
Himself.  Paul,  in  very  appropriate  words,  states 
this  as  the  result :  "That  the  blessing  of  Abraham 
might  come  on  the  Gentiles,"  and  that  thus  "we 
might  receive  the  Holy  Spirit."  This  we  find  to  be 
altogether  different  from  that  which  we  can  see 
with  the  bodily  eye.  This  disgraceful  death  which 
God  has  cursed  is  an  offence  to  the  eye,  but  to  us  it 
is  a  blessed  death,  for  it  takes  the  curse  away  from 
us  and  brings  God's  blessing  to  us.  The  tree  which 
in  itself  is  an  accursed  tree,  is  for  us  a  blissful  tree. 
It  is  that  precious  altar,  upon   which  God's  Son 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  175- 

offers  Himself  to  God,  His  Father,  for  our  sins.  It 
is  that  glorious  altar,  at  which  He  appears  as  the 
true  and  eternal  priest.  For  He  is  brought  to  the 
tree,  and  He  makes  it  a  blessed  altar,  that  we  might 
be  released  from  sin,  and  receive  God's  grace  and 
be  God's  children. 

~No  wonder,  then,  that  the  old  teachers  enter- 
tained such  excellent  thoughts  about  the  cross  and 
the  accursed  tree.  There  in  Paradise,  they  say,  a 
beautiful  tree  occasioned  our  falling  into  sin  and 
death  ;  here,  however,  an  old,  dry,  yes  accursed  tree 
occasioned  our  deliverance  from  sin  and  our  receiv- 
ing everlasting  life.  Here  hangs  God's  Son  with 
arms  extended  as  a  testimony  that  He  will  cast  no 
one  out,  but  gladly  receive  every  one  and  draw  all 
unto  Him,  as  He  says  He  will,  John  12.  His  head 
is  lifted  toward  heaven,  pointing  out  to  us  the  way 
of  life  eternal.  His  feet  reach  toward  the  ground 
where  they  bruise  the  head  of  Satan,  that  old  ser- 
pent creeping  on  the  earth,  forcing  from  him  all 
his  power.  That  power  over  us  which  Satan 
received  because  of  our  sins  he  surely  loses  now,  in 
virtue  of  the  dear  Lord  Jesus'  hanging  on  the  cross, 
where  He  atones  for  our  sins  with  His  death  and 
becomes  a  curse  in  our  stead. 

Therefore,  let  us  here  learn  to  acknowledge  and 
to  praise  our  merciful  heavenly  Father's  gracious 
will  toward  us.  For  He  spared  not  His  own  Son, 
but  delivered  Him  up  to  die,  yea,  to  die  upon  the 
cross,  and  suffered  Him  to  be  made  a  curse ;  so  that 
we  might  obtain  the  blessing,  be  set  free  from  sin, 
receive  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  through  Him  become 
God's  children  and  be  eternally  saved.  God  grant 
this  to  us  all.     Amen. 


ELEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

Christ's  Prayer  on  the  Cross. — The  Malefactor 
on  the  Right. 

Luke  23,  32-43.  And  there  were  also  two  others,  malefactors,  led 
with  Him  to  be  put  to  death.  And  when  they  were  come  to  the  place 
which  is  called  Calvary,  there  they  crucified  Him,  and  the  malefactors, 
one  on  the  right  hand,  and  the  other  on  the  left.  Then  said  Jesus, 
Father,  forgive  them  ;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do.  And  they 
parted  His  raiment,  and  cast  lots.  And  the  people  stood  beholding. 
And  the  rulers  also  with  them  derided  Him,  saying,  He  saved  others; 
let  Him  save  Himself,  if  He  be  Christ,  the  chosen  of  God  And  the 
soldiers  also  mocked  Him,  coming  to  Him,  and  offering  Him  vinegar, 
and  saying.  If  Thou  be  the  King  of  the  Jews,  save  Thyself.  And  a 
superscription  also  was  written  over  Him  in  letters  of  Greek,  and 
Latin,  and  Hebrew,  This  is  the  King  of  the  Jews.  And  one  of  the 
malefactors  which  were  hanged  railed  on  Him,  saying,  If  Thou  be 
Christ,  save  Thyself  and  us.  Bnt  the  other  answering,  rebuked  him, 
saving,  Dost  not  thou  fear  God,  seeing  thou  art  in  the  same  condemn 
nation  ?  and  we  indeed  justly ;  for  we  receive  the  due  reward  of  our 
deeds :  but  this  man  hath  done  nothing  amiss.  And  he  said  unto 
Jesus,  Lord,  remember  me  when  Thou  comest  into  Thy  kingdom. 
And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  To-day  shalt  thou 
be  with  me  in  paradise. 

ie  holy  Evangelist  here  mentions  two  things 
that  are  very  consolatory.  Therefore,  al- 
though the  other  Evangelists  have  omitted  them  in 
their  record  of  Christ's  sufferings,  we  shall  treat  of 
them  here,  so  that  this  record  may  he  before  us  in 
its  completeness.  The  first  of  these  things  is,  that 
Christ,  immediately  after  the  cross,  to  which  He 
had  been  nailed,  was  erected,  began  to  pray,  saying, 
"Father,  forgive  them;  for  they  know  not  what 
they  do."  The  other  thing  we  wish  to  notice  is, 
that  the  malefactor  on  the  right  of  Christ,  hearing 
this  prayer,  learned  from  it  that  Jesus  was  the  Son 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS;  177 

of  God  and  the  very  Christ,  and  therefore  desired 
to  be  remembered  by  Him  when  He  should  have 
come  into  His  kingdom. 

Let  us  now  consider  these  two  things,  for  they 
are  full  of  consolation  and  we  can  never  sufficiently 
meditate  upon  them  nor  explain  them.  And, 
besides  all  this,  it  is  necessary  for  us,  not  only  to 
behold  the.  works  and  sufferings  of  this  Man,  but 
also  most  carefully  to  heed  the  words  proclaimed 
by  Him ;  for  these  declare  the  reason  of  His  deeds 
and  sufferings,  and  their  consequence. 

It  is  of  the  greatest  importance,  however,  to  dis- 
tinguish between  the  suffering  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
and  that  of  all  other  men.  This  distinction  is 
momentous,  not  only  because  Jesus  Christ  is  eternal 
God,  who  created  heaven  and  earth  and  all  things, 
but  also  because  His  suffering  had  a  peculiar  cause, 
and  because  the  benefit,  or  fruit,  of  His  suffering  is 
such  that  it  could  not  have  been  produced  by  the 
suffering  of  any  other  man,  or  of  an  angel,  or  of 
any  creature.  He  suffered,  as  you  lately  heard,  not 
for  Himself,  but  for  us,  that  we  might  be  delivered 
from  sin  and  death.  This  we  also  learn  from  the 
words  He  here  speaks  in  our  text,  which  words  it 
behooves  every  Christian  to  observe  and  to  entwine 
in  his  soul  as  his  most  precious  treasure  and  com- 
fort. 

The  words  He  spoke  upon  the  cross,  "Father, 
forgive  them;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do," 
clearly  show,  that  He  was  attending  to  His  true 
priestly  office  even  while  suspended  in  the  air  upon 
the  cross;  and  that  He  was  fulfilling  the  work 
which  brought  Him  to  earth,  not  only  with  His 
suffering,  in  that  He  sacrificed  Himself,  but  also 


178  ELEVENTH  PASSION -SERMON. 

with  prayer,  both  sacrifice  aDd  prayer  belonging  to 
the  office  of  the  priest.  Christ  tells  us  that  the 
sacrifice  consisted  chiefly  in  His  sanctifying  Himself 
for  our  sakes,  so  that  Ave  "also  might  be  sanctified 
through  the  truth,"  John  17;  or,  according  to 
John  10,  in  His  laying  down  His  "life  for  the 
sheep."  There  are  many  more  passages  of  this 
kind,  all  of  which  show  that  His  sufferings  were 
not  to  be  for  Himself,  but  for  us.  The  zeal  with 
which  He  here  performed  this  work  and  offered 
this  sacrifice  was  such  that  He  even  prayed  that 
the  Father  would  forgive  those  who  crucified  Him, 
— that  He  would  pardon  and  not  punish  their  sin. 
He  prayed  thus  that  all  might  know  why  He  was 
brought  to  the  cross,  and  that  they  might  receive 
comfort  from  this  knowledge. 

This  prayer,  therefore,  should  teach  us,  first  of 
all,  that  our  dear  Lord  Jesus  is  a  priest,  and  that 
He  fulfilled  the  duties  of  His  priestly  office  there 
upon  the  cross.  To  pray  for  sinners  is,  indeed,  one 
of  the  proper  employments  of  the  priesthood. 
]n~ow,  Aaron,  serving  under  the  law,  was  invested 
with  peculiar  priestly  apparel  made  for  glory  and 
for  beauty.  But  would  we  know  with  what  priestly 
robes  Christ  was  clad  and  what  the  altar  was  at 
which  He  served,  we  need  merely  look  at  the  cross. 
There  we  see  Him  entirely  naked,  full  of  wounds 
and  void  of  every  trace  of  sacerdotal  splendor. 
iStill  He  attended  to  His  priestly  duties  most  per- 
fectly and  carefully,  even  praying  for  His  foes.  Let 
us  not  be  offended  at  His  unpriestly  appearance, 
for  the  work  of  this  Priest  has  a  significance  en- 
tirely different  from  that  of  Moses'  priests.  This 
difference  we  learn  even  from  the  superscription 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  179 

written  over  Him,  which  declares  Him  to  be  "The 
King  of  the  Jews,"  the  correctness  of  which  title 
He  had  Himself  publicly  and  clearly  confessed 
before  Pilate. 

Neither  does  this  title  harmonize  with  His 
appearance.  Instead  of  wearing  a  scarlet  robe,  His 
body  is  covered  with  blood  and  wounds  and  bruises. 
Instead  of  a  golden  crown.  He  wears  a  crown  of 
thorns.  There  upon  the  cross  we  see  a  Priest  and 
King,  of  whom  the  world  is  ashamed,  whom  the 
world  despises,  and  whom  it  regards  as  neither 
King  nor  Priest.  This  is  just  what  Isaiah  says : 
"When  we  shall  see  Him,  there  is  no  beauty  that 
we  should  desire  Him.  He  is  despised  and  rejected 
of  men ;  a  man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with 
grief:  and  we  hid  as  it  were  our  faces  from  Him; 
He  was  despised,  and  we  esteemed  Him  not."  This 
Priest  offers  us  His  own  body  and  blood  upon  the 
cross  in  a  place  that  was  dishonored,  desecrated, 
yea,  accursed.  This  shall  ever  be  our  dearest, 
loveliest  and  most  graceful  garment,  no  matter  how 
it  is  regarded  by  the  world  and  the  natural  eye. 
Bulls,  heifers  and  calves  were  sacrificed  in  the  tem- 
ple upon  a  consecrated  altar,  but  Christ  sacrifices 
Himself  upon  an  altar  that  was  not  consecrated. 
Gallows  and  places  of  execution  are  to  this  day 
horrid  and  dishonorable,  and  Moses  writes :  "He 
that  is  hanged  is  accursed  of  God."  Now,  the 
world  thinks  it  disgraceful  and  dishonorable  that 
this  Priest  was  not  permitted  to  bring  His  offering 
even  to  the  place  where  heifers  and  calves  were 
sacrificed.  But  this  was  for  us  and  for  our  good, 
that  we  might  learn  that  He  has  brought  a  fully 
satisfactory  offering  for  our  sins,  as  it  was  stated 


180  SEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

already  in  the  preceding  sermon.  Since  our  sins 
could  not  be  atoned  for  and  removed  by  any  other 
than  this  Priest  who  is  the  eternal  Son  of  God,  it  is 
our  fault  that  He  could  not  have  a  more  honorable 
altar  and  a  more  precious  garment.  This  is  no 
hindrance,  however,  to  the  discharge  of  His  office. 
He  not  only  does  offer  His  body  and  blood,  but  also 
prays  for  poor,  ignorant  sinners. 

We  should,  therefore,  be  heartily  comforted 
because  of  this  Priest  and  His  office.  Even  as  He 
suffers  not  alone  for  those  who  were  present  at  His 
crucifixion,  took  hold  of  Him  and  nailed  Him  to 
the  cross,  so  neither  does  He  pray  for  them  alone, 
but  also  for  us,  otherwise  the  praj'er  of  Christ 
would  receive  too  limited  an  interpretation.  Those 
present  then  were  merely  our  servants  and  minis- 
ters. Had  it  not  been  my  sin  and  thy  sin  that 
nailed  the  Lord  Jesus  to  the  cross,  these  men  would 
surely  not  have  been  able  to  molest  Him. 

He  now  comes  forward  as  the  true  High  Priest 
and  Lamb  of  God,  by  the  sacrifice  of  Himself  to 
atone  for  the  sins  of  all  the  world  and  to  conquer 
death  for  men,  and  this  is  the  only  reasou  why  the 
Jews  and  Gentiles  receive  power  to  harm  Him. 
Thus  we  see  that  when  He  prays  for  those  who 
crucify  Ilim,  He  prays  for  us  and  all  men,  who  by 
our  sins  had  furnished  the  cause  for  His  crucifixion 
and  death.  For  this  reason  we  should  not  regard 
the  gallows,  or  the  cross,  on  which  Christ  suffered, 
as  anything  else  than  that  altar,  upon  which  He 
offers  up  His  life  and  at  which  He  discharges  the 
priestly  duty  of  prayer,  to  the  end  that  we  might 
be  free  from  sin  and  everlasting  death.  For  who- 
ever takes  sin  away,  takes  away  death  also,  because 
10 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  181 

when  sin  is  gone  then  death  has  lost  its  power,  and 
therefore  hell  also. 

Christ,  our  only  and  eternal  High  Priest,  is  the 
One  who  has  done  this  for  us  on  the  cross.  He  has 
reconciled  us  to  God,  without  the  intervention  of 
our  works,  by  His  own  sufferings,  having  been 
made  a  curse  for  us,  having  died  upon  the  cross  for 
our  sins,  and  having  finally  prayed  for  sinners. 
Let  us,  therefore,  not  forget  heartily  to  thank  Him 
for  this. 

True,  even  popery  preaches  on  this  theme.  But, 
although  the  text  tells  us  so  clearly  and  the  history 
relates  to  us  so  plainly  that  Christ  sacrificed  Him- 
self upon  the  cross  for  our  benefit,  and  that  He 
suffered  in  our  stead,  popery  uses  many  words  to 
make  the  populace  believe  that  men  must  be  their 
own  priests,  that  they  themselves  must  sacrifice  for 
sin,  and  that  their  own  works  must  merit  life 
eternal.  Therefore,  when  we  now  teach,  and  God 
be  praised  that  we  do  teach  it,  that  the  Evangelists 
plainly  write  that  Christ,  the  true  and  eternal  High 
Priest,  has  delivered  us  from  death  and  obtained 
everlasting  life  for  us  by  the  sacrifice  of  Himself, 
the  blind  and  wretched  hirelings  of  the  Pope  curse 
and  condemn  the  divine  truth  and  call  it  scandalous 
heresy.  Terrible  and  Avoeful  anger,  blindness  and 
punishment  has  surely  been  poured  out  upon  the 
ungrateful  world  in  that  the  blasphemers,  these 
Papists,  themselves  confess  and  preach  that  Christ 
offered  Himself  on  the  cross  for  us,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  rage  against  us  and  shed  innocent  blood 
because  we  teach  this  doctrine  and  point  the  people 
to  this  sure  and  everlasting  consolation.  Truly, 
this  is  a  realization  of  Isaiah's  denunciation  against 


182  ELEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

the  despisers  of  God's  Word  :  "Hear  ye  indeed,  but 
understand  not;  and  see  ye  indeed,  but  perceive 
not,"  and  receive  ye  a  hardened  and  foolish  heart. 
If  this  were  not  the  case  it  would  be  inexplicable 
why  they  so  lightly  esteem  this  Sacrifice  and  place 
all  their  confidence  in  their  own,  man-appointed 
works,  such  as  cities,  garments  and  food,  "which 
all,"  Paul  says,  "are  to  perish  with  the  using."  0, 
why  will  men  not  take  the  consolation  offered  here, 
viz.,  that  Christ  sacrificed  His  body  and  His  life 
and,  praying  for  us,  said :  Father,  here  am  I,  a 
Mediator  between  Thee  and  poor  sinners;  I  die 
for  them ;  I  give  myself  for  them ;  be  gracious  unto 
them. 

Notwithstanding  that  our  adversaries  themselves 
read,  confess  and  preach  this,  they  will  continue  to 
yell  and  foam  at  it  and  to  condemn  us  as  heretics. 
Well,  this  is  the  visitation  of  God's  dreadful  wrath 
upon  them.  May  the  Lord  in  mercy  shield  us 
against  such  visitation.  But  should  He  ever  suffer 
us  to  fall,  I  pray  that  He  would  let  us  fall  into  a 
sin  which  we  may  feel  and  acknowledge,  and  not 
into  one  that  bids  direct  defiance  to  His  grace  and 
that  is  looked  upon  as  holiness,  whose  outward 
features  it  assumes. 

Let  us,  therefore,  open  our  hearts  and  behold 
Christ,  our  High  Priest,  in  His  proper  priestly  gar- 
ment and  at  His  proper  priestly  work.  The  eye 
does  not  see  Him  arrayed  in  beaut}7  or  in  wealth, 
but  finds  Him  ignominiously  hanging  there  in 
misery  and  wretchedness.  But  if  we  look  into  His 
heart  we  shall  discover  ornaments  so  bright  and 
treasures  so  rich  that  we  can  never  thank  Him  for 


SERMONS  OX  THE  GOSPELS.  183 

them  sufficiently.  He  is  adorned,  in  the  first  place, 
with  that  most  sincere  obedience  in  which  He 
glorifies  His  Father  by  permitting  Himself  to  be 
spit  upon,  scourged  and  tortured.  In  this  life  we 
cannot  fully  comprehend  the  glory  of.  this  orna- 
ment ;  still  we  can  understand  enough  of  it  to 
know  that  all  pearls  and  purple  and  gold  are 
nothing  beside  it.  His  other  ornament  is  that 
great  love  He  has  for  us  which  makes  Him  care  so 
little  about  His  life  and  His  sufferings,  almost  for- 
getting them  in  the  heart-felt  interest  He  takes  in 
our  condition  and  in  our  need,  and  praying  for  us 
rather  than  for  Himself.  We  cannot  sufficiently 
understand  such  love  as  this ;  for  in  the  heart  of 
the  Lord  there  is  burning  such  a  flame  of  love  for 
us,  that  He  does  not  seem  to  see  or  to  feel  His  own 
most  severe  suffering,  torture  and  disgrace,  but  only 
considers  and  perceives  and  cares  for  thy  and  my 
misery,  distress  and  affliction. 

We  cannot  help  acknowledging  that  the  love  of 
the  Lord,  who  is  so  concerned  about  us  that  He 
entirely  overlooks  His  own  danger,  injury  and 
pain,  is  indeed  a  mighty,  burning  love.  Father 
and  mother,  when  their  dear  child  is  in  danger  or 
want,  rush  through  the  fire  to  save  it,  caring  not 
for  their  own  safety,  but  only  for  that  of  their 
child.  The  love  of  our  Lord  Jesus  is  also  such  that 
He  passes  through  affliction  as  through  a  fire,  to 
grasp  us  with  the  hand  of  mercy  and  affection. 
isTow,  this  is  the  fitting  garment  with  which  our 
eternal  High  Priest  is  arrayed.  This  is  not  an  outer 
vestment  for  the  eye  of  reason  to  behold ;  but  the 
eye  of  faith  perceives  it  in  Jesus  within,  as  His 
words  also  sufficiently  testify. 


184  ELEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

The  chief  thing  in  the  entire  history  of  the  pas- 
sion is  that  Christ  gave  Himself  for  us  and,  caring 
for  nothing  as  much  as  for  our  deliverance,  reached 
toward  us,  and  pursued  us  through  all  manner  of 
affliction  as  through  a  fire.  To  this  main  point  we 
should  pay  especial  attention,  and  cling  to  it  so 
closely  that  it  cannot  be  wrested  from  our  hands. 

We  have  need  of  this  doctrine  not  only  as  a 
source  of  comfort,  but  also  as  a  source  of  strength, 
with  which  to  counteract  the  poison  prescribed  to 
the  people  by  the  Pope,  who  would  lift  them  into 
heaven  by  their  own  righteousness  and  work  and 
merit.  If  our  works  could  have  done  this,  why 
was  it  necessary  for  Christ,  the  Son  of  Gocl,  to  sutler? 
But  here  we  find  Him  obediently  and  patiently 
bringing  His  offering,  His  own  body  and  life,  and 
beseeching  His  Father  to  have  mercy  and  to  for- 
give. This  is  proof  sufficient  that  nothing  of  the 
kind  could  have  been  accomplished  with  our  works ; 
for  it  is  not  as  easy  a  thing  to  obtain  forgiveness  of 
sins  as  the  Papists  dream.  True,  it  is  easy  enough 
to  put  on  a  cowl  and  to  fast,  keep  vigils  and  sing  a 
great  deal ;  but  to  come  into  possession  of  pardon 
for  sin  requires  something  quite  different  from  our 
filthy  works,  and  something  far  greater.  If  we  rely 
on  our  fasts  and  vigils  and  prayers,  we  will  have  to 
wait  quite  a  while  indeed  to  receive  help  of  God ! 
But  Isaiah  states  the  plan :  "He  was  wounded  for 
our  transgressions,  He  was  bruised  for  our  iniqui- 
ties ;"  "He  hath  borne  our  griefs."  The  Papists 
themselves  are  constrained  to  confess  that  the  suf- 
ferings and  death  of  the  Lord  Jesus  are  far  exalted 
above  our  prayers,  our  good  works,  our  sufferings, 
our  charity,  our  fasting.     He,  therefore,  who  tries 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  185 

to  atone  for  sin  with  such  things  as  these,  shall 
surely  not  succeed.  To  succeed  in  this  requires,  as 
Isaiah  clearly  says,  a  different  man  and  different 
works  and  merits.  Therefore,  he  who  would  apply 
his  own  merits  to  the  removing  of  sin,  blasphemes 
the  death  and  sacrifice  and  prayer  of  Christ,  because 
he  makes  his  own  prayer  and  offering  equal,  nay, 
superior,  to  the  offering  and  prayer  of  Christ. 
Against  this  abomination  we  must  diligently  guard. 

The  Lord  does  not  however,  pray  at  random,  but 
makes  a  distinction  between  those  for  whom  He 
prays  and  others,  saying,  "Father,  forgive  them ; 
for  they  know  not  what  they  do."  He  thus  desig- 
nates two  classes  of  sinners.  Some  know  that  they 
do  wrong,  and  still  do  so  without  fear,  prompted  by 
pure  malice  and  hatred  against  the  acknowledged 
divine  truth.  These  commit  the  "sin  unto  death," 
as  it  is  called  1  John  5,  that  is,  the  sin  against  the 
Holy  Ghost,  if  they  continue  in  such  willful  sin 
and  do  not  confess,  abstain  from  and  ask  forgiveness 
for  it,  but  remain  impenitent  to  the  end,  and  besides 
blaspheme  the  Word  of  God  and  the  truth  which 
cannot  be  gainsaid,  as  most  of  the  Papists  now  are 
doing. 

The  Papists  know  that  our  doctrine  is  true  and 
divine ;  they  know  that  Christ  commanded  us  to 
receive  the  whole  Sacrament,  that  He  did  not  forbid 
matrimony,  that  He  gave  no  command  concerning 
the  sacrifice  of  the  mass,  and  that  He  died  for  our 
sins.  Still,  they  condemn  us,  who  hold  these  doc- 
trines, as  heretics,  and  punish  those  of  their  subjects 
whom  they  discover  believing  our  doctrine  and 
using  the  Sacrament  as  it  was  instituted  by  Christ. 
This  is  willful  persecution  of  the  truth,  and  there- 


186  ELEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

fore  not  a  sin  of  ignorance.  They  commit  this  sin 
in  such  a  way  that  it  cannot  be  forgiven  them;  for 
it  is  a  sin  that  is  in  direct  conflict  with  forgiveness, 
because  it  is  neither  abandoned  nor  confessed. 
Forgiveness  of  sin  demands  that  sin  be  both  con- 
fessed and  renounced. 

Other  sinners  sin  ignorantly.  But  we  must 
understand  their  case  correctly.  David,  for  in- 
stance, knew  well  enough  that  he  was  doing  wrong 
and  sinning  against  God  in  taking  the  wife  of 
Uriah  and  then  having  him  slain.  But  his  carnal 
lust  and  the  devil  so  impetuously  impelled  him  to 
the  deed  that  he  committed  it  before  rightly  con- 
sidering what  he  was  doing.  Afterward,  however, 
he  confessed  his  sin,  was  grieved  by  it,  wished  that 
he  had  not  committed  it,  and  prayed  for  mercy. 

We  all  are  encumbered  with  this,  sin  and  are 
easily  and  unawares  led  astray.  Sometimes  we  fall 
through  fear,  sometimes  through  carelessness  and 
weakness,  like  Peter,  and  sometimes  through  pre- 
sumptuousness.  Such  sins  Christ  bore  with  Him 
to  the  cross  and  for  such  He  prayed ;  for  these  are 
bare  and  naked  sins,  which  are  not  inconsistent 
with  grace,  being  recognized  and  confessed  and 
their  forgiveness  being  sought.  Thus  we  often  find 
that  harlots,  villains,  murderers,  and  other  wicked 
people,  who  know  that  they  have  done  wrong  and 
make  no  attempt  at  justifying  themselves,  find 
mercy.  To  the  believer  God  does  not  impute  such 
acknowledged  sins,  because  the  sacrifice  of  Christ 
is  interposed  between  them  and  God.  But  they 
who  knowingly  and  willfully  persist  in  sin  and 
even  excuse  their  sins,  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  denv  the  orrace  of  God.     For  them  Christ  does 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  1  8  < 

not  pray  here,  but  only  for  those  who  know  not 
what  they  do,  and  who,  as  said  before,  fall  through 
fear,  weakness  and  the  like.  The  latter  can  rely 
upon  the  offering  and  prayer  of  Christ  and  can  be 
assured  that  their  sins  are  forgiven,  for  Christ  here 
prays  for  them,  and  His  prayer  was  surely  accepted. 
We  must  not  doubt  this,  but  find  in  it  consolation 
and  joy. 

So  much  it  was  meet  briefly  to  say  concerning 
Christ's  prayer  on  the  cross,  with  which  He  declares 
why  He  is  suffering  there,  namely,  that  they  who 
sin  ignorantly  and  then  repent  might,  for  His  sake, 
have  a  merciful  God,  who  does  not  impute  to  them, 
but  graciously  forgives,  their  sin. 

•  Let  us  now  look  a  little  also  at  the  history  of  the 
malefactor  on  the  right  of  Christ.  We  can  nowhere 
find  an  incident  of  more  remarkable  beauty  than 
here.  The  poor  fellow  cannot  deny  his  sins;  he 
knows  that  he  has  sinned,  and  that  he  must  now 
die  for  his  sins.  He  cannot,  therefore,  boast  before 
God  of  any  good  works,  or  of  any  merit  of  his  own. 
He  even  reproves  his  comrade,  who,  railing  on  the 
Lord  Jesus,  said,  "If  Thou  be  Christ,  save  Thyself 
and  us,"  by  answering  him  thus :  We  are  indeed 
justly  punished,  "for  we  receive  the  due  reward  of 
our  deeds  :  but  this  Man  hath  done  nothing  amiss." 
He  thus  confesses  that  he  had  well  deserved  that 
dreadful  death.  It  is  a  matter  of  astonishment, 
therefore,  in  the  first  place,  that,  having  every 
reason  to  fear  God  on  account  of  his  sins,  the  male- 
factor still  was  confident,  as  we  shall  hear,  that  the 
Lord  Jesus  would  take  him  with  Him  into  His 
kingdom. 


188  ELEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

It  is  a  matter  of  great  astonishment,  in  the  second 
place,  that  this  one  man  did  not  stumble  at  the 
huge  stumbling-stone  laid  in  his  way  by  the  entire 
council  of  Jerusalem,  including  the  temporal  and 
spiritual  government,  which  mocked  and  reviled 
the  Lord  Jesus.  The  chief  spiritual  rulers  said : 
"He  saved  others,  let  Him  save  Himself,  if  He  be 
Christ,  the  Chosen  of  God."  The  soldiers  also 
mocked  Him,  saying,  "If  Thou  be  the  King  of  the 
Jews,  save  Thyself;"  for  the  superscription  written 
over  Him  declared  that  He  was  "Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
the  King  of  the  Jews."  The  malefactor  crucified 
on  the  left  of  Christ  said  :  "If  Thou  be  Christ,  save 
Thyself  and  us."  This  he  said,  not  because  he 
desired  help,  but  because  he  wanted  to  insult  and 
ridicule  the  Lord.  In  short,  the  whole  world  is 
offended  in  Christ,  who  hangs  on  the  cross,  and  it 
does  not  esteem  Him.  Even  the  disciples,  although 
a  part  of  them  stood  by  the  cross,  had  lost  all  hope. 

The  poor  malefactor  on  the  right  alone  steps 
over  the  rock  of  offence  and  dares  to  call  Christ, 
who  hangs  on  the  cross  at  his  side,  a  Lord  and 
King.  He  gives  the  lie  to  all  the  world,  cares  not 
what  others  think  of  him,  and  proclaims  Christ  to 
be  an  everlasting  King.  These  are  his  words : 
"Lord,  remember  me  when  Thou  comest  into  Thy 
kingdom."  He  calls  Christ  a  Lord,  says  He  has  a 
kingdom,  and  desires  Him,  when  He  shall  have 
entered  His  kingdom,  to  remember  him.  Now, 
the  time  rendered  it  certain,  that  neither  of  them 
could  live  till  evening.  Therefore  he  believes  that 
Christ  is  the  Lord  of  another  and  an  eternal  life. 
This  faith  and  this  confession,  found,  as  it  was,  in 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  189 

the  midst  of  a  world  that  despaired  of  Christ  and 
hated  Him,  must  have  been  indeed  a  great  and 
exquisite  faith, — a  glorious  confession. 

The  question  may  occur  to  us,  whence  could  the 
malefactor  have  obtained  this  abundant  and  accurate 
knowledge,  by  which  he  was  able  to  recognize  and 
proclaim  Christ  as  the  Lord  of  eternal  life,  or  who 
could  have  been  his  instructor  ?  Without  a  doubt, 
he  learned  this  alone  from  Christ's  prayer  on  the 
•cross.  The  prophet  Isaiah,  chap.-  53,  declares  that 
the  Messiah  should  suffer  and  be  "numbered  with 
the  transgressors,"  and  also  that  He  should  bear 
"the  sins  of  many  and  make  intercession  for  the 
transgressors."  This  prophecy  was  fulfilled  on  the 
cross.  The  innocent  Lord,  who  had  done  no  evil, 
hangs  there  between  two  murderers.  And  as  He 
begins  to  pray,  and  says,  "Father,  forgive  them ; 
for  they  know  not  what  they  do,"  the  malefactor 
catches  the  little  word  "Father."  People  were  not 
in  the  habit  of  conversing  with  God  in  this  way. 
Christ  is  the  only  One  who  can  speak  thus  to  God, 
and  He  it  is  who  has  taught  us  thus  to  speak.  The 
malefactor  hence  concludes  that  Christ  must  be 
God's  Son,  and  recognizes  Him,  by  His  praying  for 
sinners,  as  the  true  Messiah,  or  Christ.  The  quoted 
passages  from  Isaiah,  and  similar  passages  from 
other  prophets  which  he  had  heard,  either  in  the 
temple  at  Jerusalem,  or  elsewhere  in  some  syna- 
gogue, but  which  he  had  not  understood,  now,  no 
doubt,  occurred  to  him.  He  takes  these  passages 
together,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  makes  these  prophe- 
cies so  bright  and  clear  to  his  soul  that  he  can  con- 
tain himself  no  longer,  but  confesses  with  his  lips 


190  ELEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

what  be  believes  in  his  heart,  and  says,  ''Lord, 
remember  me  when  Thou  comest  into  Thy  king- 
dom." 

He  would  say  :  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God.  For 
our  sins  Thou  sufferest  on  earth  this  dreadful  death 
upon  the  cross.  But  Thou  shalt  afterward  ascend 
into  an  everlasting  kingdom  and  be  Lord  over  alL 
There,  0  Lord,  remember  me !  I  am  willing  now 
to  die,  for  I  have  well  deserved  death.  But  do 
Thou  not  forget  me  when  Thou  comest  into  Thy 
kingdom. — Behold,  what  a  deep  knowledge  of 
Christ  Jesus  this  man  derived  from  Christ's  short 
prayer !  This  prayer  was  the  sermon  that  taught 
him  true  wisdom. 

The  knowledge  and  confession  of  Christ  which 
proceeded  from  the  malefactor  on  the  cross,  is  the 
very  same  knowledge  and  confession  by  which  God 
preserves  the  Christian  Church  to-day.  Though 
everything  else  should  fail,  and  emperors,  kings, 
popes  and  bishops  cease  to  be,  God  will  still  retain 
a  small  company  that  shall  have  His  Spirit  and 
that  shall  confess  His  name  before  the  world. 
When  the  disciples,  and  others  who  are  closely 
allied  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  refuse  to  confess  and 
believe,  and  deny  the  Lord  through  fear,  and  are 
offended  in  Him  and  desert  Him,  then  some  male- 
factor or  murderer  must  appear,  to  confess  this 
Christ,  to  preach  concerning  Him,  and  to  teach 
others  what  they  should  think  of  Him  and  why 
they  should  be  comforted  in  Him.  The  Lord  our 
God  is  determined  not  to  leave  Christ  without 
followers  who  confess  Him,  even  if  He  must  have 
recourse  to  the  thief  upon  the  gallows,  or  the 
murderer  upon  the  wheel. 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  191 

This  is,  therefore,  a  consoling  history ;  for  it 
teaches  us,  first  of  all,  that  they  who  follow  Christ 
and  receive  all  mercy  from  Him,  are  none  other 
than  those  sinners  who  confess  their  sins  and 
heartily  pray  for  grace;  these  shall  receive  grace 
and  mercy.  With  His  previous  prayer,  "Father, 
forgive  them,"  &c,  His  present  action  corresponds; 
He  suffers  now,  that  sin  may  be  forgiven.  And 
then,  upon  the  cross,  before  He  dies,  the  dear  Lord 
soon  proves,  in  the  case  of  the  malefactor,  or  mur- 
derer, how  beneficial  and  powerful  His  sufferings 
are  and  what  they  avail.  He  there  proves  that  His 
sufferings  benefit  all  poor  sinners  who,  with  the 
malefactor,  believe  and  confess  that  Christ  is  an 
eternal  King;  that  by  His  agony,  death  and  resur- 
rection He  has  acquired  for  them  the  forgiveness  of 
their  sins  and  their  deliverance  from  everlasting 
death  ;  and  that  He  will  take  them  into  His  eternal 
kingdom. 

Hence  we  can  conclude  with  such  certainty  as 
not  to  entertain  the  vestige  of  a  doubt,  that  Christ 
did  not  offer  Himself  on  the  cross  for  saints,  for  no 
mortal,  let  him  be  who  he  may,  is  holy  of  himself; 
but  that  He  offered  Himself  for  sinners,  for  He 
came  to  call  sinners  to  repentance  and  not  the 
righteous,  as  He  Himself  says,  Matt.  9.  Therefore, 
he  who  tries  to  get  to  heaven  by  means  of  a  holy 
life,  good  works,  and  personal  merits,  deceives 
himself.  He  who  does  not  confess  himself  a  sinner, 
can  tind  no  access  to  the  Lord  Jesus";  for  Christ  did 
not  die  for  His  own,  but  for  the  sinner's  sake. 

Christ  converted  the  malefactor  on  the  cross  into 
a  saint,  not  suffering  him  to  remain  and  to  perish 
in  his  sins.     We  should  therefore  regard  this  his- 


192  ELEVENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

tory  as  an  example  showing  by  very  deed  what  the 
Redeemer  sought  and  acquired  by  His  sufferings, 
and  what  He  accomplished  by  the  priestly  sacrifice 
and  prayer  which  He  ottered  on  the  cross.  He  took 
sin  upon  Himself,  not  because  He  delights  in  sin, 
neither  because  He  would  have  us  remain  under 
sin  and  continue  in  iniquity.  No,  He  suffers  for 
sinners  so  that  they  need  not  go  on  in  sin,  and  so 
that  they  may  become  converted  and  be  pious  and 
holy.  This  His  purpose  was  accomplished  in  the 
case  of  the  malefactor,  who,  being  converted, 
accused  himself  of  sin,  but  still  trusted  in  the  Lord 
Jesus,  believing  that  God,  through  Him  and  for 
His  sake,  would  forgive  his  sins  and  give  him  life 
eternal. 

The  malefactor  is  thus  made  an  entirely  different 
man.  His  shameful  and  justly  merited  death  now 
becomes  a  real  act  of  divine  service.  He  suffers  no 
longer  as  a  murderer,  but  as  a  saint.  He  dies  in 
the  true  confession  and  in  heart-felt  confidence  in 
God's  grace  through  Christ.  He  is  sincerely  grieved 
for  his  sins.  He  now  begins  to  obey  God  and  to 
do  many  good  works.  With  his  sufferings  he 
honors  and  praises  God.  Publicly,  before  all  the 
world,  he  glorifies  the  crucified  Jesus,  exhorting 
and  admonishing  every  one  to  repent  and  to  believe 
in  this  Lord.  In  short,  his  faith  in  Christ  does  not 
only  cause  him  to  be  a  saint,  but  it  even  bears  him 
into  paradise  and  into  everlasting  life,  according  to 
Christ's  promise :  "To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me 
in  paradise." 

Let  us  follow  this  example  and  not  act  like  the 
rude  and  ungodly,  who  say:  I  will  sin  so  that 
Christ  may  have  alliance  to  eave  me  and  to  show 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  193 

me  mercy.  No,  no ;  but  let  us  say  :  I  am  born  in 
sin  and  am  full  of  filth  and  evil  lusts.  It  is,  there- 
fore, not  necessary  for  me  first  to  sin  in  order  to  be 
able  to  confess  myself  a  sinner.  I  have,  alas,  been 
only  too  great  a  sinner  from  the  very  beginning ! 
I  am  already  under  the  curse  of  God  and  condemned 
to  eternal  death.  Therefore,  since  God  in  infinite 
compassion  calls  me  to  repentance,  will  I  now  turn 
myself  unto  Him  and  take  refuge  in  this  Lord, 
whose  suffering  has  ransomed  sinners,  and  whose 
innocent  death  has  delivered  me  from  the  death  so 
well  deserved  and  long  since  merited,  and  who  has 
reconciled  me  unto  God ! 

He,  however,  who  abuses  this  sermon  of  mercy, 
and  refuses  to  forsake  and  confess  and  repent  of  his 
sins,  may  look  upon  the  murderer  on  the  left  of 
Christ  and  upon  the  rulers  of  the  Jews  and  upon 
the  soldiers,  and  consider  how  they  fared  in  their 
wickedness  and  what  they  merited  with  their  im- 
penitent lives.  If  we  would  be  benefited  by  the 
Lord  Jesus  and  by  His  agony  and  prayer,  we  must 
follow  the  example  of  the  malefactor  who  confessed 
his  sins  and  prayed  for  grace,  and  acknowledged 
that  Christ  was  the  Lord  and  the  King  of  everlast- 
ing life.  May  the  dear  Lord  Jesus,  our  eternal 
King,  grant  us  this.     Amen. 


TWELFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

Christ  Commits  His  Mother  to  the  Care  of  John. — 

The  Soldiers  do  sot  Break  the  Legs  of  Christ, 

but  with  a  Spear  Pierce  His  Side,  from 

which  Blood  and  Water  Flow. 

John  19,  25-37.  Now  there  stood  by  the  cross  of  Jesus  His  mother, 
and  His  mother's  sister,  Mary  the  wife  of  Cleophas,  and  Mary  Magda- 
lene. When  Jesus  therefore  saw  His  mother,  and  the  disciple  standing 
by,  whom  He  loved,  He  saith  unto  His  mother,  Woman,  behold  thy 
Son  !  Then  saith  He  to  the  disciple,  Behold  thy  mother  !  And  from 
that  hour  that  disciple  took  her  unto  his  own  home.  After  this, 
Jesus  knowing  that  all  things  were  now  accomplished,  that  the  Scrip- 
ture might  be  fulfilled,  saith,  I  thirst.  Now  there  was  set  a  vessel 
full  of  vinegar :  and  they  filled  a  sponge  with  vinegar,  and  put  it 
upon  hyssop,  and  put  it  to  His  mouth.  When  Jesus  therefore  had 
received  the  vinegar,  He  said,  It  is  finished  :  and  He  bowed  His  head, 
and  gave  up  the  ghost.  The  Jews  therefore,  because  it  was  the  prep- 
aration, that  the  bodies  should  not  remain  upon  the  cross  on  the 
sabbath  day,  (for  that  sabbath  day  was  a  high  day,)  besought  Pilate 
that  their  legs  might  be  broken,  and  that  they  might  be  taken  away. 
Theu  came  the  soldiers,  and  brake  the  legs  of  the  first,  and  of  the 
other  which  was  crucified  with  him.  But  wben  the}'  came  to  Jesus, 
and  saw  that  He  was  dead  already,  they  brake  not  His  legs :  but  one 
of  the  soldiers  with  a  spear  pierced  His  side,  and  forthwith  came  there 
out  blood  and  water.  And  he  that  saw  it  bare  record,  and  his  record 
is  true ;  and  he  knoweth  that  he  saith  true,  that  ye  might  believe. 
For  these  things  were  done,  that  the  Scripture  should  be  fulfilled,  A 
bone  of  Him  shall  not  be  broken.  And  again  another  Scripture  saith 
They  shall  look  on  Him  whom  they  pierced. 

>t.  John,  toward  the  end  of  the  passion  history, 
relates  three  things,  about  which  the  other 
Evangelists  do  not  write,  but  which  are,  neverthe- 
less, very  important  in  point  of  doctrine  and  con- 
solation. These  also  must  be  considered,  that  we 
may  have  the  wThole  of  this  history  before  us. 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  195 

The  first  of  these  things  is,  that  Christ,  while  on 
the  cross,  commends  His  mother  to  John,  and  also 
John  to  His  mother,  so  that  they  might  be  inclined 
toward  each  other  as  are  a  mother  and  her  son,  and 
that  they  might  love  and  in  every  way  assist  each 
other.  John  tells  us  too  that  he  immediately  took 
the  mother  of  Jesus  into  his  care  and  treated  her 
as  if  she  had  been  his  own  mother. 

This,  narrative  is  generally  regarded  as  an  illus- 
tration of  the  fourth  commandment,  which  says : 
"Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  that  thy  days 
may  be  long  upon  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God 
giveth  thee."  With  this  accords  the  fact  that  John 
lived  longer  than  the  rest  of  the  Apostles,  namely, 
sixty-eight  years  after  the  resurrection.  Although 
this  explanation  is  not  improper  as  far  as  it  goes,  it 
is  still  too  narrow ;  for  that  which  the  Lord  does 
and  says  here  upon  the  cross  dare  not  be  regarded 
as  done  and  said  for  only  a  few  individuals.  Christ 
intended  His  works  and  words  to  embrace  the 
whole  world,  but  especially  the  Christian  Church. 

That,  therefore,  which  Christ  here  says  to  Mary 
and  John  alone,  we  must  regard  as  a  command  for 
all  Christians  and  for  the  entire  Church.  Since 
Christ  hangs  upon  the  cross  and,  by  His  death, 
saves  us  all  from  sin  and  death,  we  must  be  toward 
each  other  like  a  mother  and  her  son,  who  in  all 
things  sincerely  love,  aid  and  advise  each  other. 
This  is  the  meaning  also  of  the  command  which 
the  Lord  so  often  repeats  during  the  last  Supper : 
"This  is  my  commandment,  that  ye  love  one  an- 
other, as  I  have  loved  you ;"  "A  new  commandment 
I  give  unto  you,  That  ye  love  one  another,  as  I 
have  loved  you."     The  love  between  a  mother  and 


196  TWELFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

her  children  is  the  deepest  and  most  sincere  that 
can  be  found. 

The  Lord  uses  the  words  "mother"  and  "son" 
with  special  reference  to  both  parts  of  the  Church, 
viz.,  to  those  who  teach  the  Word  and  to  those  who 
hear.  Even  as  a  mother  nourishes  her  infant  and 
diligently  cares  for  it  till  it  is  grown  up  and  has 
become  strong,  so  honest  pastors  also  labor  and 
take  pains  to  teach  the  people  and  render  them 
good  Christians.  Thus  Paul  calls  his  disciples, 
whom  he  had  reared  as  with  a  mother's  trouble 
and  toil,  children,  1  Cor.  4;  Gal.  4;  1  Thess.  2. 
The  Church  cannot  be  properly  conducted  unless 
they  who  exercise  the  office  of  the  ministry  have 
for  her  the  affection  of  a  mother.  If  they  have  not 
this  love,  the  result  will  be  indolence,  indifference 
and  unwillingness  to  suffer.  The  Lord  very  ex- 
plicitly teaches  this  in  the  21.  chapter  of  John.  He 
there  commands  Peter  to  preach,  but  not  until  He 
had  three  times  asked  him  :  "Simon,  son  of  Jonas, 
lovest  thou  me?"  By  this  question  He  meant  to 
say :  Unless  thou  lovest  the  lambs  as  a  mother 
loves  her  children,  whom  she  tries  to  rescue  from 
the  flames  even  at  the  peril  of  her  own  life,  thou 
wilt  never  be  fit  for  a  preacher.  In  thy  office  as 
pastor,  trouble,  toil,  ingratitude,  hatred,  envy  and 
many  a  cross  will  be  thy  lot.  Now,  if  the  pastors 
have  no  motherly  heart,  no  fervent  love  for  the 
flock,  these  shall  receive  poor  care  indeed. 

On  the  other  hand,  again,  they  who  have  not 
received  the  command  to  preach,  but  stand  in  need 
of  information  and  instruction,  must  deport  them- 
selves like  sons,  suffering  themselves  to  be  taught, 
led,  nourished,  and  cared  for  in  other  ways,  thus 
10* 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  197 

conducting  themselves  toward  their  teachers  as  a 
pious  child  conducts  itself  toward  its  mother. 
True,  children's  love  for  their  mother  is  not  as 
great  as  the  mother's  love  for  her  children,  even  as 
the  proverb  says :  Amor  descendit,  non  ascendit, 
that  is,  love  moves  downward,  not  upward.  Still, 
nature  prompts  pious  children  to  honor  their 
parents,  and  to  serve  them  and  yield  to  them  in 
everything  that  they  desire  and  need.  When  this 
is  the  relation  between  mother  and  son,  between 
pastor  and  congregation,  then  all  is  well. 

If,  however,  the  ministers  of  the  Church  are 
lacking  in  motherly  affection,  or  if  the  hearers  are 
void  of  childlike  fidelity,  it  is  out  of  the  question 
that  things  should  go  right  and  that  God  should  be 
pleased.  This  Ave  have  sadly  experienced  in  the 
case  of  the  Pope,  the  bishops  and  the  whole  priestly 
rabble,  for  they  have  no  such  motherly  love.  They 
think  that  the  office  was  given  them  merely  that 
they  might  be  great  lords  and  live  at  their  ease. 
Therefore,  they  not*  only  take  poor  care  of  the 
sheep,  but  they  even,  to  their  heart's  content,  skin 
and  butcher  the  lambs  in  life,  property  and  soul,  as 
we  only  too  well  see.  Again,  we  frequently  find 
the  deficiency  in  the  hearers,  that  they,  like  ill-bred 
children,  do  not  properly  provide  for  their  pastors. 
This  is  the  case,  among  us,  with  peasants,  with 
citizens,  and  especially  with  the  nobility,  who  deal 
so  closely,  stingily  and  niggardly  with  their  pastors, 
that  seldom  one  is  found  who  willingly  gives  to  the 
ministry  as  much  as  he  should.  And  this  is  done 
in  spite  of  St.  Paul's  pointed  and  earnest  admoni- 
tion, not  to  communicate  sparingly  of  our  carnal 
things  unto  them  that  communicate  unto  us  spirit- 


198  TWELFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

ual  things.  Such  ingratitude  cannot  fail  to  injure 
the  cause  of  the  Gospel,  neither  can  God's  punish- 
ment fail  to  come  upon  such  perverse  children. 

We  should,  therefore,  carefully  observe  and  take 
to  heart  this  command  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  who, 
upon  the  cross,  shows  such  tender  solicitude  both 
for  the  teacher  and  the  disciple,  that  is,  for  the 
whole  Church.  Teachers  and  pastors  He  exhorts 
to  motherly  love,  and  pulpits  and  congregations  to 
childlike  faithfulness,  gratitude  and  obedience.  If 
both  parties  obey  these  blessed  instructions  of  our 
dear  Lord  Jesus,  all  will  be  well  and  God  will 
bless  and  give  success.     So  much  for  the  first  point. 

The  other  two  points,  that  no  bone  of  Christ  was 
broken  and  that  His  side  was  pierced  with  a  spear, 
do  not  appear  to  be  of  much  importance.  Since, 
however,  the  Evangelist  John  adduces  the  clear 
testimony  of  the  Scriptures,  that  Moses  and  Zecha- 
riah  had  prophesied  these  things  many  centuries 
before  they  took  place,  and  since  the  Holy  Spirit 
speaks  nothing  that  is  useless  or  vain,  we  are  bound 
to  confess  that  these  two  facts  are  of  great  moment, 
however  much  they  may  have  the  appearance  of 
trifles.  The  holy  Evangelist  Johu,  according  to 
true  apostolic  custom,  confers  on  us  a  special  bless- 
ing by  everywhere  quoting  and  interpreting  Scrip- 
ture so  appropriately. 

Moses,  as  we  have  already  heard,  wrote  the  clear 
command  that  no  one  should  "remain  all  night 
upon  the  tree,"  for  God  had  said  that  this  would 
defile  the  land.  As  this  was  the  day  for  the  prep- 
aration, and  as  the  Sabbath  would  begin  with  the 
setting  of  the  sun,  the  Jews  besought  Pilate  to 
have  the  bodies  removed  from  the  cross,  so  that 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  199 

they  might  be  buried  yet  by  day,  before  the  begin- 
ning of  the  festival.  Pilate  gave  his  consent.  But 
as  they  found  the  two  malefactors  yet  living,  the 
soldiers,  as  John  says,  hastened  their  departure,  at 
the  command  of  the  Jews,  by  breaking  their  arms 
and  legs,  as  they  were  hanging  on  the  cross.  They 
intended  to  do  the  same  with  the  Lord  Jesus,  but 
He  gave  up  the  ghost  before  they  had  finished  with 
the  two  malefactors,  and  therefore  "they  brake  not 
His  legs.  But  one  of  the  soldiers  with  a  spear 
pierced  His  side,"  from  which,  to  the  astonishment 
of  all,  both  blood  and  water  flowed.  These  two 
things,  as  I  have  said,  seem  of  little  importance, 
but  John  testifies  that  they  were  not  mere  accidents, 
but  that  both  of  them  had  been  foretold,  the  one  by 
Moses,  "Neither  shall  ye  break  a  bone,"  the  other 
by  Zechariah,  "They  shall  look  upon  me  whom 
they  have  pierced." 

Now,  it  is  true,  indeed,  that  what  Moses  says, 
Ex.  12  and  Num.  9,  refers  to  the  passover.  How, 
then,  could  it  occur  to  the  Evangelist  John  to  say : 
"These  things  were  done  that  the  Scripture  should 
be  fulfilled,  A  bone  of  Him  shall  not  be  broken," 
and  what  does  he  mean  by  this?  He  would  simply 
teach  us  to  look  upon  the  Lord  Jesus  on  the  cross 
as  the  true  Passover,  of  which  the  old  passover  in 
the  law  is  merely  the  type  or  symbol. 

"When  God  desired  with  violence  to  weaken  the 
might  of  Pharaoh  in  Egypt  and  to  frustrate  his 
obstinate  wantonness  and  design,  and  to  save  His 
people  Israel,  He  commanded  His  people,  the  Jews, 
in  each  house,  in  the  appointed  night,  to  slay  a 
lamb  of  the  first  year  and  roast  and  eat  it,  but  to 


200  TWELFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

strike  its  blood  on  the  door-posts.  The  destroying 
angel  was  to  pass  over  that  honse  on  whose  doors 
he  should  see  the  token  of  the  blood  and  smite  none 
of  its  inmates.  But  where  the  token  of  the  lamb's 
blood  on  the  door  was  wanting,  there  the  angel 
was  in  that  night  to  smite  throughout  all  Egypt 
the  first-born  both  of  man  and  beast.  As  Moses 
had  told  the  people  at  God's  command,  so  it  came 
to  pass.  In  the  morning  dead  men  and  beasts  were 
found  in  the  houses  of  all  the  Egyptians,  the 
destroyer  having  spared  the  Jews  alone,  because 
their  doors  were  marked  and  protected  by  the  blood 
of  the  lamb. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  our  Paschal  Lamb,  Christ 
Jesus.  He  desires  to  punish  Pharaoh  and  all  Egypt, 
that  is,  sin,  death  and  Satan,  and  to  rescue  His 
Christian  Church  from  tyranny.  Therefore  He 
suffers  Himself  to  be  slain  like  the  lamb  of  old,  and 
to  be  sacrificed  upon  the  cross,  so  that  He  might 
sprinkle  us  with  His  blood,  and  so  that  the  destroy- 
ing angel,  who,  on  account  of  our  sins,  had  brought 
death  upon  us,  and  had  received  power  over  us, 
might  pass  over  us  and  do  us  no  harm.  Paul,  1 
Cor.  5,  refers  to  this  so  beautifully :  "For  even 
Christ  our  Passover  is  sacrificed  for  us,"  that  we 
might  be  partakers  of  His  blood,  and  that  Satan, 
death  and  sin  might  have  no  authority  over  us  and 
no  power  to  do  us  hurt.  This  it  is  that  John  wishes 
us  to  learn  here  from  his  statement  that  Christ, 
like  the  paschal  lamb,  had  no  bone  broken. 

We  would,  however,  consider  here  also  the  other 
particulars  which  the  Jews  had  to  observe  with 
reference  to  the  passover,  so  that  when  we  see  how 
perfectly  the  passover  harmonizes  with  Christ,  we 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  201 

may  find  more  consolation  in  this  sacrifice  made 
for  us,  and  take  greater  interest  in  the  Lord  Jesus. 

The  lamb  was  required  to  be  without  blemish,  a 
male  of  the  first  year,  healthy  and  strong;  no  other 
lamb  would  have  answered  the  purposes  of  the 
passover.  Now,  as  lambs  one  year  old  are  very 
prolific,  so  this  Lamb,  the  Lord  Jesus,  brought 
forth  and  built  up  His  Church.  The  Lord  Jesus  is 
also  without  all  blemish  and  deficiency,  for  He  is 
the  Son  of  God,  and  His  flesh  and  blood  is  not  sin- 
ful like  ours,  but  He  is  holy  altogether. 

The  Jews  were  directed  to  take  the  lamb  from 
the  sheep,  or  from  the  goats,  on  the  tenth  day  of 
the  month,  and  to  keep  it  by  itself  until  the  four- 
teenth day  of  the  month.  In  this  way  Christ  was 
taken  from  the  fold  of  God,  that  is,  from  the  Jews, 
wTho  were  God's  people,  and  for  this  reason  He  is 
called  the  Son  of  Abraham,  or  of  David.  He  was 
separated  for  the  special  office  of  preaching  God's 
kingdom  among  His  people,  the  JewTs,  during  the 
four  years  preceding  His  passion. 

That  the  lamb  had  to  be  eaten  in  the  evening, 
indicates  that  Christ  should  come  in  the  latter 
times,  when  the  Jews  were  no  longer  to  be  the 
people  of  God,  and  when  the  law  and  ceremonies 
of  Moses  were  to  cease.  It  is  for  this  reason  that 
the  Lord  sometimes  compared  His  Gospel  to  a 
supper,  and  that  the  Apostles  called  the  days  of 
the  New  Testament  "the  latter  times"  and  "the  last 
days." 

The  lamb  dared  not  to  be  eaten  sodden  or  raw, 
but  roasted.  Throughout  all  Scripture,  fire  is  an 
emblem  of  suffering  and  affliction.  The  lamb 
roasted  with  fire  is,  therefore,  a  type  of  Christ,  who 


202  TWELFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

suffered  death  upon  the  cross.  We  dare  not  par- 
take of  Him  raw,  that  is,  he  who  would  receive 
Him  at  all,  dare  not  be  careless,  secure  and  profane 
as  our  Epicureans  are,  who  think  that  they  can 
believe  and  do  as  they  please,  and  still  be  good 
Christians.  These  do  not  partake  of  the  lamb 
properly,  and  cannot  do  so  any  more  than  they  can 
who  eat  it  sodden  with  water,  that  is,  they  who  do 
not  keep  the  doctrine  pure,  but  adulterate  it  with 
human  teachings  and  traditions,  as  the  Pope  does. 

Unleavened  bread  and  bitter  herbs  had  to  be 
eaten  with  the  lamb.  Thus  Paul  says :  "Let  us 
keep  the  feast,  not  with  old  leaven,"  refusing  to 
check  sin  and  to  amend  our  conduct;  "neither 
with  the  leaven  of  malice  and  wickedness,"  dealing 
in  hypocrisy  and  not  heartily  repenting ;  "but  with 
the  unleavened  bread  of  sincerity,"  keeping  a  clear 
conscience  and  living  in  the  fear  of  God;  "and 
truth,"  sincerely,  not  hypocritically,  asking  God's 
blessing  and  earnestly  desiring  to  regulate  ourselves 
according  to  His  Word.  This  is  the  unleavened 
bread. 

The  herbs  signify  the  holy  cross ;  for,  as  Paul 
says :  "All  that  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus 
shall  suffer  persecution." 

No  part  of  the  lamb  was  allowed  to  remain,  but 
the  whole  of  it  had  to  be  eateu,  or.  else  that  which 
remained  was  to  be  burned  with  fire.  Neither 
should  a  bone  of  it  be  broken.  Just  so  it  is  with 
Christ.  He  who  would  be  a  true  Christian  dares 
not  eat  one  part  and  leave  another  part  uneaten. 
He  must  accept  and  believe  everything  that  Christ 
says,  and  must  not,  like  the  fanatics  and  sects,  eat 
His   words   piecemeal.      Arius-  was   satisfied   with 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  203 

everything  else,  only  he  would  not  believe  that 
Christ  was  eternal  God.  The  Anabaptists  reject 
the  baptism  of  children,  despise  this,  the  original 
institution,  and  fancy  that  they  have  found  a  better. 
The  Sacramentarians  of  the  present  day  accept 
everything  Christ  says,  and  think  themselves  excel- 
lent Christians.  But  it  is  not  to  their  liking  that 
Christ  said,  when  He  took  the  bread,  "Take,  eat ; 
this  is  my  body,"  and  when  He  took  the  cup, 
"Drink  ye  all  of  it ;  for  this  is  my  blood  of  the  New 
Testament,"  and  this  they  do  not  want  to  believe. 
They  do  not  like  the  taste  of  this  and  so  they  leave 
it  uneaten,  in  spite  of  God's  command  that  the 
whole  of  this  Paschal  Lamb  should  be  eaten,  or  else 
the  remainder  burned  with  fire.  And  more  than 
this,  they  even  break  the  bones,  that  is,  torture, 
crucify  and  mangle  at  pleasure  the  Word  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  only  so  that  they  may  give  their  scan- 
dalous error  some  plausibility.  Thus  we  find  that 
the  Pope,  the  Anabaptists,  the  Sacramentarians 
and,  in  short,  all  the  sects,  eat  only  that  part  of  the 
lamb  that  suits  their  taste,  and  let  the  parts  that 
they  do  not  relish  remain,  and  break  them  to 
pieces. 

What  must  be  done  with  the  blood  has  already 
been  related,  viz.,  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  is  to  pre 
vent  sin,  death  and  hell  from  hurting  us,  and,  for 
all  time  to  come,  to  hinder  Pharaoh  and  the  Egyp- 
tians, that  is,  Satan  and  the  world,  from  oppressing 
and  subduing  us.  Christ  was  sacrificed  that  He 
might  make  us  free,  John  8,  and  undo  and  destroy 
the  work  of  Satan. 

Of  all  this  John  would  remind  us  when  he  says : 
"These  things  were  done  that  the  Scripture  should 


204  TWELFTH  PASSI0N-SERM0X. 

be  fulfilled,  A  bone  of  Him  shall  not  be  broken. '* 
He  wishes  us  to  regard  the  passover  as  the  faithful 
picture  of  the  entire  benefit  and  of  the  real  fruit  of 
our  Lord  Jesus'  sufferings.  He  wishes  us  to  see 
that  Christ  was  sacrificed  for  us  and  that  His  blood 
is  to  deliver  us  from  sin,  death  and  the  devil,  which 
constantly  oppress,  alarm  and  coerce  us  in  the  same 
way  in  which  Pharaoh  retained  and  vexed  the 
children  of  Israel  in  Egypt.  The  blood  of  our 
Paschal  Lamb,  Christ  Jesus,  has  abolished  this 
servitude.  We  now  have  peace,  and,  fully  free 
from  every  burden,  we  shall  pass  from  dangerous 
Egypt  over  to  the  land  of  promise  and  to  life 
eternal. 

We  shall  now  consider  the  third  point,  which 
the  Evangelist  evideutl}7  regarded  as  very  important. 
He  not  only  introduces  the  testimony  of  the  Prophet 
Zechariah,  who  had  prophesied  concerning  this 
piercing  of  Christ's  side ;  but  he  also  uses  many 
and  solemn  words  to  affirm  the  miracle,  that  blood 
and  water  flowed  from  the  dead  body.  This  was 
unnatural,  because  when  a  man  is  dead  his  blood  is 
cold  and  does  not  flow;  and  it  was  still  more 
unnatural  for  both  blood  and  water  to  flow  from  a 
corpse.  Therefore  John  says :  "He  that  saw  it 
bare  record,  ....  and  he  knoweth  that  he  saith 
true,  that  ye  might  believe."  He  thus  calls  our 
attention  to  this  miracle  as  one  of  great  importance, 
so  that  we  might  diligently  study  it  and  finally 
learn  from  it  to  believe;  that  is,  that  we  might 
through  Christ  and  His  death,  as  was  said  above 
when  speaking  of  the  passover,  have  the  hope  of 
the  forgiveness  of  sins  and  of  everlasting  life.  This 
is  the  chief  design  of  this  narfative  as  given  by  the 
11 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  205 

Evangelist,  with  whom,  as  we  shall  soon  see,  the 
prophet  completely  corresponds. 

First  of  all,  however,  let  us  rid  ourselves  of  the 
idea  that  it  was  merely  a  casual  circumstance  that 
one  of  the  soldiers  thrust  his  spear  into  the  corpse's 
side.  The  soldier,  of  course,  did  this  in  ignorance 
of  any  exalted  signification  the  act  might  have. 
Still  it  was  done  by  God's  special  arrangement,  else 
the  Holy  Spirit  would  not  have  prophesied  concern- 
ing it  through  Zechariah  so  many  centuries  before. 
We  see  that  the  Lord  retained  the  wounds  in  His 
body  after  the  resurrection,  and  that  He  showed 
them  to  His  disciples  in  particular  as  a  mark  by 
which  they  might  recognize  Him.  This  piercing 
of  Christ's  side  and  this  gushing  forth  of  blood  and 
water  were  not,  therefore,  mere  accidents,  but  they 
were  intended  to  mean  and  to  accomplish  some- 
thing. 

We  must  here  be  on  our  guard,  lest  we  imitate 
the  example  commonly  set  by  rude  people,  who 
say  :  It  is  none  of  my  business  what  flowed  from 
the  Lord  Jesus'  side ;  it  is  enough  for  me  to  know 
that  He  died  on  the  cross.  Let  us  not  think  in  this 
way,  but  let  us  honor  the  Holy  Ghost  and  contrib- 
ute to  our  own  comfort  by  carefully  learning  what 
was  accomplished  by  this  piercing  of  Christ's  side 
with  the  spear,  which  John  so  faithfully  relates  and 
which  Zechariah  had  foretold  so  long  before.  ■ 

In  the  first  place,  it  is  certain  beyond  all  dispute, 
that  it  is  unnatural  for  a  deceased  body  to  sweat  or 
bleed.  As  soon  as  blood  grows  cold  it  no  longer 
flows,  but  it  stagnates.  The  dead  body  before  us 
now,   however,   is   different   foom   all    other   dead 


206  TWELFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

bodies,  and  hence  things  take  place  in  it  that  do 
not  take  place  in  any  other  body.  True,  Christ's 
body  was  flesh  and  blood  like  our  own,  and  it  died 
as  ours  must  die.  Yet,  His  flesh  and  blood  were 
sinless,  and  therefore  He  died  in  such  a  way  that 
even  in  His  death  a  sign  of  life  remained.  The 
blood  in  all  other  bodies  is  soon  cold  and  stagnant, 
but  in  the  body  of  the  Lord  Jesus  it  remains  so 
warm  and  active  that,  as  soon  as  His  side  is  pierced, 
it  rushes  forth  as  from  a  living  body's  opened  vein. 
John  wishes  us  to  observe  this  carefully,  and  to 
learn  from  it  that  it  is  the  true  nature  of  the  blood 
of  our  dear  Lord  Jesus  to  flow  and  live  and  be 
efficacious  even  after  He  has  died.  Neither  was 
the  blood  of  the  paschal  lamb  used  while  the  lamb 
lived,  but  after  it  was  dead  and  had  been  eaten. 
The  angel  went  by  night  through  Egypt  and  smote 
all  the  first-born,  but  the  houses  of  the  Jews  which 
were  marked  with  the  blood  of  the  lamb  he  spared, 
and  in  them  smote  none.  And  thus  the  blood  of 
our  dear  Lord  Jesus  continues  still  to  live  and  flow, 
having  neither  become  stagnant  nor  grown  cold. 
It  flows  and  gushes  after  He  is  dead,  and  all  who 
are  sprinkled  with  it  have  the  forgiveness  of  sin 
and  are  children  of  eternal  life. 

We  should  mark  this  well,  for  this  unnatural 
flowing  shows  that  the  blood  of  our  dear  Lord 
Jesus,  as  that  of  the  true  Paschal  Lamb,  retained 
its  influence  and  power  and  virtue  even  after  Christ's 
death ;  that  it  should  flow  upon,  sprinkle  and  mark 
the  faithful  standing  by  the  cross  ;  and  that  Satan, 
death  and  sin  should  let  alone  all  upon  whom  they 
find  this  mark,  and  not  have  power  to  hurt  them. 
Such  is  the  true  nature,  power  and  virtue  of  the 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  207 

blood  of  our  clear  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  such  it 
forever  remains  in  His  Church  even  after  His  death. 

Besides  the  blood,  however,  water  also  came  out 
of  Christ's  side.  This,  no  doubt,  was  to  serve  as  an 
indication  that  the  blood  of  Christ  would  sprinkle 
only  those  who  were  baptized  in  His  name.  Our 
Lord  Jesus  Himself  says :  "He  that  believeth  and 
is  baptized  shall  be  saved ;  but  he  that  believeth 
not  shall  be  damned."  Blood  and  water  go  to- 
gether. Where  Christ's  blood  is  and  operates, 
there  the  water  of  blessed  Baptism  also  is;  but 
where  the  water  does  not  flow,  that  is,  where  there 
is  no  holy  Baptism,  there  the  blood  of  Christ  is 
also  wanting,  nor  does  it  flow  there  nor  sprinkle 
any  one,  as  it  is  the  case  among  the  Turks  and 
Jews  and  heathen.  Evermore  must  blood  and 
water  flow  on  together,  and  neither  be  separated 
from  the  other. 

We  must  mark  this  well,  for  it  has  great  value. 
It  is  not  of  great  import  for  those  who  died  under 
the  Old  Testament  and  who  did  not  live  to  see 
Baptism ;  for  they  had  their  own  Baptism  and 
were  saved  by  faith  in  the  blessed  Seed.  Nor  is  it 
so  important  on  account  of  infants  who  die  in  their 
mother's  womb  before  they  can  be  brought  to 
Baptism ;  for  their  parents  and  the  Christian  assist- 
ants of  those  in  travail  bring  to  Christ  the  offering 
of  fervent  prayer  in  the  hour  of  danger,  and  they 
are,  without  a  doubt,  accepted  graciously.  But  the 
value  of  this  token  of  mercy  is  our  own,  and  we 
should  not  despise  it  and  not  prevent  ourselves  nor 
our  families  from  accepting  it.  Where  the  water 
of  this  Baptism  is,  there  too  must  be  the  blood  of 
Christ,  for  water  and  blood  come  from  His  side 


208  TWELFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

together;  and  we  have  already  seen  the  value  of 
this  blood,  viz.,  it  defends  us  against  the  destroying 
angel,  cleanses  us  from  sin,  and  causes  us  to  live 
forever.  The  prophet,  in  such  perfect  harmony 
with  the  Evangelist,  beautifully  indicates  this  in 
Zech.  12,  where  he  says :  "I  will  pour  upon  the 
house  of  David,  and  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jeru- 
salem, the  Spirit  of  grace  and  of  supplications  :  and 
they  shall  look  upon  me  whom  they  have  pierced, 
and  they  shall  mourn  for  Him,  as  one  mourneth 
for  his  only  son,  and  shall  be  in  bitterness  for  Him, 
as  one  that  is  in  bitterness  for  his  first-born." 

It  cannot  be  denied,  in  the  first  place,  that  the 
prophet  here  speaks  of  the  time  of  the  JSTew  Testa- 
ment and  of  the  grace  which  should  come  upon  us 
through  the  death  of  Christ.  This  grace,  moreover, 
consists  in  God's  pouring  upon  us  "the  Spirit  of 
grace  and  of  supplication,"  that  is,  God,  through 
His  Holy  Spirit,  brings  comfort  to  our  souls,  so 
that  we  trust  in  His  mercy  and  compassion  through 
Christ,  and  call  upon  Him  in  every  time  of  need, 
and  seek  help  from  Him,  as  children  seek  help  from 
their  father. 

In  the  second  place,  John  here  throws  upon  us 
the  light  of  his  true  apostolic  spirit,  when  he  says 
that  the  piercing,  of  which  the  prophet  proceeds  to 
speak,  was  done  on  the  occasion  of  the  crucifixion. 
The  prophet  tells  us  what  shall  be  the  result  of  this 
piercing,  in  these  words :  aThey,"  mark  you,  they 
who  have  the  Spirit  of  grace  and  of  supplications, 
— "They  shall  look  upon  me  whom  they  have 
pierced,  and  they  shall  mourn  for  Him,  as  one 
mourneth  for  his  only  son,  and  shall  be  in  bitter- 
ness for  Him,  as  one  that  is  in  bitterness  for  his 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  209 

first-born.  This  mourning  and  this  bitterness  mean 
nothing  else  than  the  thorough  recognition  of  the 
sins  for  whose  sake  Christ  suffered  on  the  cross. 
Our  lcfoking  upon  Him  who  is  pierced  and  our 
mourning  for  Him  and  our  being  sorrowful,  indi- 
cates that  He  is  innocent  and  that  He  suffered  all 
for  us. 

His  suffering  thus,  however,  causes  us  to  perceive 
our  danger  and  distress,  to  desist  from  carelessly 
participating  with  the  world  in  sin,  to  deplore  our 
sinful  heart  and  wicked  life,  to  ask  God  for  forgive- 
ness, and  to  cling  to  the  sufferings  of  Christ  and 
console  ourselves  Avith  them  because  He,  being 
holy  and  obedient,  did  not  deserve  to  die,  but  still 
took  upon  Himself  and  suffered  death  because  He 
loved  us  so  unspeakably. 

It  is  necessary  for  us  that  we  should  pity,  mourn 
and  lament  in  the  way  stated  above,  and  it  is  neces- 
sary for  Christ  to  have  our  sympathy,  grief  and 
tears,  or  else  He  can  have  no  Christian  Church. 
The  Church  alone,  as  Zechariah  says,  looks  upon 
the  wounded  Christ  and  weeps  for  Him,  but  not 
like  the  women  at  Jerusalem,  for  they  wept  for 
Christ  in  such  a  way  as  to  overlook  themselves. 
The  tears  of  the  believers,  of  the  Christian  Church, 
flow  because  the  sins  are  seen  within  them,  for 
which  Christ  suffered  death.  Thus  the  prophet 
plainly  points  out  to  us  the  fruits  of  Christ's  suffer- 
ings. And  soon  after,  in  the  13.  chapter,  he  says  : 
*'In  that  day  there  shall  be  a  fountain  opened  to 
the  house  of  David  and  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jeru- 
salem for  sin  and  for  uncleanness." 

How  closely  the  prophet  unites  the  spear- thrust 
and  the  fountain,  that  is,  the  blood  and  the  water, 


210  TWELFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

or  holy  Baptism.  Now,  if  we  would  interpret  this 
narrative  correctly,  we  must  say :  Blood  flows  from 
the  Lord  Jesus'  side  for  the  washing  away  and 
forgiveness  of  my  sins.  The  Lord  Himself*  testifies 
to  this  when  He  takes  the  cup  in  the  Holy  Supper. 
But  water  also  comes  forth  to  show  that  His  hody 
is  an  open  fountain.  But  why  is  it  such  ?  "For 
sin  and  for  uncleanness."  Baptism  applies  to  us 
the  hlood  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  for  which  reason  Paul 
expresses  this  by  saying,  we  are  baptized  into 
Christ's  death,  that  is,  we  are  baptized  that  the 
death  of  Christ  might  be  our  own  and  for  our  good, 
so  that,  being  delivered  from  siu  and  death,  we 
might  live  forever. 

The  holy  fathers  say  some  beautiful  things  about 
this.  Augustine  says  that  John  uses  the  word 
"pierced," — "One  of  the  soldiers  with  a  spear  pierced 
His  side," — to  show  that  the  door  of  life  was  thus 
thrown  open  as  it  were,  through  which  door  came 
to  us  the  holy  Sacraments  of  the  Church,  without 
which  Sacraments  it  is  impossible  to  enter  into  that 
life  which  is  the  real  life.  He  speaks  of  Sacraments, 
in  the  plural,  because  he  refers  not  only  to  Baptism, 
which  is  represented  by  the  water,  but  also  to  the 
Holy  Supper,  in  which  we  drink  Christ's  blood. 
Chrysostom  speaks  after  the  same  manner,  saying  : 
Whereas  the  sacred  Mysteries  here  take  their 
origin,  thou  must  approach  the  holy  Cup  as  if  thou 
wast  about  to  drink  from  the  Lord  Jesus'  side. 

The  Sacramentarians  dare  not  quote  this  passage 
of  Chrysostom,  for  they  boast  that  the  whole  of  the 
old  Church  believed  as  they  do,  viz.,  that  in  the 
Lord's  Supper  there  are  only  bread  and  wine,  and 
not  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ.     Now,  how  does 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  211 

this  boast  harmonize  with  the  words  of  Chrysostom? 
They  surely  cannot  be  so  blind  and  frantic  as  to 
say  that  wine  flowed  from  Christ's  side,  and  yet 
they  say  that  in  the  Holy  Supper  we  do  not  drink 
the  blood  of  Christ,  but  merely  wine.  They  must 
admit,  on  the  testimony  of  Chrysostom,  who  says, 
thou  must  approach  the  holy  Cup  as  if  thou  wast 
about  to  drink  from  Christ's  side,  that  the  ancient 
Church  discerned  not  only  wine,  but  also  blood,  in 
the  Sacrament  of  the  altar. 

It  is  this  flowing  of  both  water  and  blood  from 
Christ's  side,  that  is  said  to  have  giveu  rise  to  the 
custom  of  mixing  the  wine  used  in  the  Supper  of 
the  Lord  with  water.  Cyprian  vigorously  defends 
this  custom  as  a  special  ordinance  of  Christ,  and 
the  Armenians  were  condemned  as  heretics  for  not 
complying  with  it.  Since  Christ,  however,  did  not 
command  this  to  be  done,  and  since  the  words  of 
the  institution  tell  us  merely  that  Christ  took  the 
cup  and  gave  it  to  His  disciples,  it  is  not  necessary 
to  hold  this  custom  as  essential. 

We  therefore  let  this  matter  rest  and  confine 
ourselves  to  the  doctrine  taught  us  by  the  holy 
Evangelist,  which  is,  that  the  blood  of  our  dear 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  shall  forever  retain  its  power  and 
efficacy  after  Christ's  death,  and  shall  preserve  us 
from  death  and  sin,  provided  we  are  baptized  with 
water  as  Christ  commanded.  In  Baptism  we  find 
the  blood  of  Christ  in  reality,  even  as  blood  and 
water  flow  together  here.  Where  the  blood  is, 
there  is  the  water  also,  and  where  the  water  is, 
there  also  is  the  blood,  and  it  accomplishes  its  pur- 
pose, which  is  to  wash  away  our  sins  and  to  make 
us  perfectly  clean,  even  as  Zechariah  says  when  he 


212  TWELFTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

prophesies  concerning  the  open  fountain  "for  sin 
and  for  uncleanness." 

We  should,  therefore,  thank  God  for  the  ineffable 
mercy  and  compassion,  by  which  He  has  led  us  to 
this  fountain,  to  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  His 
Son,  and  thus  to  be  cleansed  from  our  sins  in  the 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  We  may  now  hope,  through 
the  Spirit  of  grace,  to  receive  from  God  all  good 
things,  and  can  now  call  upon  God  in  every  hour 
of  need,  through  the  Spirit  of  supplications.  And 
the  final  blessing  of  Christ's  death  shall  come  upon 
us  in  the  end,  when  we  leave  this  world  of  sorrows 
and  enter  life  eternal.  May  God  bestow  this  upon 
every  one  of  us.    Amen. 


THIRTEENTH  PASSION- SERMON. 

Christ's  Body  Taken  down  from  the  Cross  and 
Laid  in  a  Tomb. — The  Soldiers  Guard  the  Tomb. 

Matt.  27,  57-66.  When  the  even  was  come,  there  came  a  rich  man 
of  Arimathea,  named  Joseph,  who  also  himself  was  Jesus  disciple : 
he  went  to  Pilate,  and  begged  the  body  of  Jesus.  Then  Pilate  com- 
manded the  body  *o  be  delivered.  And  when  Joseph  had  taken  the 
body,  he  wrapped  it  in  a  clean  linen  cloth,  and  laid  it  in  his  own  new 
tomb,  which  he  had  hewn  out.  in  the  rock  :  and  he  rolled  a  great 
stone  to  the  dcor  of  the  sepulchre,  and  departed.  And  theie  was 
Mary  Magdalene,  and  the  other  Mary,  sitting  over  against  the  sepul- 
chre. Now  the  next  day,  that  followed  the  day  of  the  preparation, 
the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  came  together  unto  Pilate,  saying,  Sir, 
we  remember  that  that  deceiver  said,  while  He  was  yet  alive,  After 
three  days  I  will  rise  again.  Command  therefore  that  the  sepulchre 
be  made  sure  until  the  third  day,  lest  His  disciples  come  by  night, 
and  steal  Him  away,  and  say  unto  the  people,  He  is  risen  rom  the 
dead :  so  the  last  error  shall  be  worse  than  the  first.  Pilate  said 
unto  them,  Ye  have  a  watch  :  go  your  way,  make  it  as  sure  as  ye 
can.  So  they  went,  and  made  the  sepulchre  sure,  sealing  the  stone, 
and  setting  a  watch. 

e^jljlshe  concluding  events  related  in  the  history  of 
f§H||  the  sufferings  of  our  Lord  Jesus  are  His 
removal  from  the  cross,  His  being  laid  in  a  new 
tomb,  and  the  guarding  of  the  tomb  by  the  soldiers. 
And  a  most  appropriate  conclusion  this  is;  for  it 
shows  how  the  death  of  our  dear  Lord  Jesus  influ- 
ences both  His  friends  and  His  enemies.  His  ene- 
mies become  uneasy  and  apprehensive,  and  they 
perceptibly  sink  deeper  into  sin.  They,  however, 
who  honestly  love  the  Lord  Jesus,  are  made  confident 
and  bold  by  the  death  of  Christ,  notwithstanding 
their  weakness  and  timidity,  and  now  venture  to 
do  what  before  they  would  not  have  thought  of 


214  THIRTEENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

doing.  The  death  of  our  dear  Lord  Jesus  has  just 
the  same  effect  on  men  in  our  day,  as  we  shall  soon 
hear. 

The  shameful  death  of  Christ  upon  the  cross  was 
indeed  a  most  severe  offence.  Hence  His  foes 
blaspheme  Him  to  the  utmost,  while  His  disciples, 
who  had  been  about  Him,  did  not  dare  to  show 
themselves,  and  had  no  other  thought  than  that  all 
was  over  with  Him  now.  His  mother,  the  dear 
Virgin  Mary,  stood  there  distressed  and  full  of 
sorrow,  and  other  women  with  her.  low,  although 
she  closely  kept  in  her  heart  the  saying  of  the 
angel,  and  pondered  the  prophecies  spoken  by  pious 
and  holy  people,  such  as  the  aged  Simeon  and 
Anna,  a  prophetess,  when  Jesus  was  yet  a  child, 
Luke  2,  her  affliction  still  overwhelmed  her  so  and 
the  offence  so  wounded  her  heart,  that  she  could 
not  speak.  Thus  the  small  assembly  that  had 
hitherto  adhered  to  Christ  and  kept  Him  company 
is  perfectly  mute.  The  condemned  malefactor  is 
the  only  one  who  moves  or  speaks.  Christ's 
enemies  carry  the  day  and  are  full  of  hope  and 
gladness.  The  clamor  made  is  all  their  own,  the 
rest  must  hold  their  peace. 

The  weakness  and  timidity  of  these  pious  people 
serves,  as  said  above,  to  teach  us  not  to  be  rash  and 
not  to  place  too  much  reliance  in  ourselves.  If 
these  almost  lose  sight  of  comfort  and  are  swallowed 
up,  as  it  were,  by  grief  and  misery,  how  much  more 
shall  not  we  be  subject  to  such  weakness  when 
called  upon  to  expose  ourselves  or  to  suffer  for  the 
Gospel's  sake.  How  very  necessary,  therefore,  that 
we  should  abide  in  the  fear  of  God  and  pray  for 
the  Holy  Spirit,  that  He  may  enlighten  and  comfort 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  215 

our  hearts,  and  make  us  bold  enough  to  dare  and 
to  bear  something  for  the  glory  of  God  and  for  the 
sake  of  His  Word. 

When  the  offence  was  at  its  very  height,  and 
when  they  who  had  been  the  best  Christians  and 
had  fearlessly  clung  to  the  Lord  Jesus  began  to 
falter  and  to  shrink,  and,  on  account  of  fear,  sorrow 
and  gloom,  knew  not  what  to  do  nor  whither  to  go, 
the  first  to  approach  was  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  a 
city  which  is  also  called  Arumah,  Joshua  15  and 
Judges  9.  Joseph  was  not  a  plain  and  common 
citizen,  like  the  Apostles,  who  were  simply  common 
people,  but  he  was  a  member  of  the  council  of 
Jerusalem  and  very  rich.  He  it  was  who  ventured 
to  go  to  Pilate  and  beg  for  the  dead  body,  that  he 
might  take  it  down  from  the  cross  and  bury  it. 
And  then  came  also  Xicodemus,  who,  although  he 
loved  the  Lord  and  His  Word,  had  been  so  timorous 
that  he  came  to  Him  only  by  night.  He  brought 
about  a  hundred  pounds  of  myrrh  and  aloes,  so 
that  the  Lord  might  not  be  buried  meanly,  but  with 
honor.  It  was  customary  among  the  Jews,  as  John 
relates,  because  they  had  derived  from  the  Word  of 
God  the  hope  of  the  resurrection  and  of  everlasting- 
life,  to  give  the  bodies  of  the  deceased  a  decent 
burial  by  preparing  them  with  myrrh  and  aloes,  so 
that  they  would  not  only  be  preserved  for  a  long- 
time and  decay  slowly,  but  also  that  they  would 
have  an  agreeable  odor. 

Mark  and  Luke  specially  mention  that  Joseph 
was  a  disciple  of  Christ,  that  is,  he  attentively  and 
approvingly  heard  Christ  preach,  and  waited  for 
the  kingdom  of  God.  We  must  carefully  bear  this 
in  mind,  for  from  this  we  learn  what  prompted  him 


216  THIRTEENTH  PASSIQN-SERMON. 

to  have  the  boldness  to  go  to  Pilate,  which  was  not 
a  trifling  matter. 

The  chief  priests  and  the  entire  council  at  Jeru- 
salem had  accused  the  Lord  Jesus  as  a  perverter  of 
the  nation,  as  a  deceiver  and  blasphemer,  and  on 
this  accusation  Pilate  based  his  judgment.  Now, 
Joseph,  who  had  taken  no  part  in  any  of  the  pro- 
ceedings against  the  Lord  Jesus  and  did  not  want 
to  be  present  at  His  trial,  did  a  very  dangerous 
thing  when  he  sought  Christ's  body  for  a  decent 
burial.  He  was  thus  likely  to  incur  the  fury  of  the 
whole  council  and  of  Pilate  himself,  who  had  con- 
demned the  Lord,  and  he  thus  gave  them  to  under- 
stand that  in  his  opinion  Christ  had  been  a  pious 
and  a  good  Man,  who  had  been  wronged  in  the 
sight  of  God  and  the  world. 

What  moved  him  so  boldly  to  expose  himself? 
Only  this,  he  was  waiting  for  the  kingdom  of  God. 
That  is,  he  still  believed  that  God's  kingdom  would 
not  fail  to  come,  and  that  Christ,  although  He  had 
so  miserably  hung  and  died  upon  the  cross,  would 
be  raised  from  the  dead  by  God,  and  that  He  would 
accomplish  and  furnish  everything  necessary  to 
fulfill  the  prophesies  concerning  the  Messiah  and 
his  kingdom.  If  the  centurion  who  stood  over 
against  Him  and  saw  Christ  die  when  He  had  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  learned  so  much  from  various 
occurrences,  such  as  the  darkness  and  the  earth- 
quake, that  he  openly  confessed :  "Truly  this  Man 
was  the  Son  of  God,"  how  much  more  would  not 
this  Joseph  and  pious  Nicodemus  also  have  had 
such  thoughts!  Without  a  doubt,  the  preaching 
of  the  prophets,  and  the  words  of  Christ  which 
they  had  repeatedly  heard   and   which   they    had 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  217 

now,  through  the  admonition  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
taken  to  heart  for  the  first  time,  conveyed  to  them 
the  hope  that  Christ  had  not  been  finally  disposed 
of,  but  that  God  would  establish  His  kingdom  now 
when  men  least  looked  for  it.  Christ  had,  for 
instance,  preached  to  Xicodemus  a  powerful  sermon 
on  this  hope,  telling  him,  John  3,  that  as  the  serpent 
was  lifted  up  in  the  wilderness  so  He  also  would  be 
lifted  up  on  the  cross. 

The  Holy  Spirit,  at  that  time,  kindled  such 
thoughts  in  their  weak  and  timid  hearts,  which 
soon  influenced  them  so  that  Joseph  goes  to  Pilate 
and  asks  for  the  body  of  Him  whom  Pilate  had 
condemned  as  a  disturber  and  blasphemer.  Nico- 
demus  brings  myrrh  and  aloes,  with  which  to  give 
the  Lord  a  costly  and  decent  burial,  as  their  testi- 
mony before  all  the  world  that  they  yet  hoped  that 
God's  kingdom  still  would  come,  although  defied 
by  Jerusalem's  haughtiest  boast  that  Christ  was 
gone  and  things  would  soon  be  changed. 

Such  is  the  fruit  of  our  dear  Lord  Jesus'  death. 
The  weakest  and  most  diffident  distinguish  them- 
selves by  boldly  and  fearlessly  confessing  Christ 
and  by  asking  for  His  body,  which  hangs  in  the 
greatest  disgrace,  that  they  might  bury  it  with  the 
greatest  honor.  They  thus  testify  that  they,  in 
spite  of  Jews,  chief  priests,  Pilate,  and  all  foes  of 
Christ,  regard  and  glorify  Christ  as  the  Son  of 
God,  hope  for  His  kingdom,  and  find  comfort  in 
Him  even  now  when  He  is  dead  and  when  every 
body  thinks  that  He  is  gone  forever-  This  is  ex- 
actly as  Mark  and  Luke  say :  Joseph  "waited  for 
the  kingdom  of  God,"  that  is,  he  hoped  that  God, 
through  this  Man,  would  found  a  new  kingdom  on 


218  THIRTEENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

the  earth,  forgive  sins,  and  impart  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  eternal  life.  For,  according  to  the  prophets, 
the  great,  essential  feature  of-  God's  kingdom  is, 
that  Christ,  or  the  Messiah,  must  establish  it. 

Isaiah's  prophecy  concerning  Christ,  "A  bruised 
reed  shall  He  not  break,  and  the  smoking  flax  shall 
He  not  quench,"  is  here  fulfilled  in  the  case  of 
Joseph  and  ISTicodemus.  Hitherto  they  were  weak 
and  timid  Christians.  They  suffered  much  from 
their  fear,  which  prevented  them  from  making  an 
open  confession.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  John 
speaks  of  JSTicodemus,  who  came  to  Jesus  by  night, 
as  a  secret  disciple.  Christ  forgave  them  this  fear, 
and  did  not  cast  them  away  on  account  of  it.  !N"ow, 
however,  when  the  clanger  is  greatest  and  when 
they  who  usually  were  such  strong  and  bold  Chris- 
tians are  overcome  by  the  offence,  and  fear  to  let 
themselves  be  seen,  the  Holy  Spirit,  through  the 
death  of  Christ,  fans  the  smoking  and  nearly 
smothered  flax  until  it  makes  a  blaze  as  bright  as 
the  beautiful  sun.  What  Joseph  had  so  far  been 
thinking  and  believing  of  Christ  in  secret,  he  now 
makes  known  to  all,  fearing  neither  the  Jews  nor 
Pilate.  He  cares  more  for  Christ,  who  died  in  the 
deepest  disgrace,  than  for  all  the  world.  Let  us 
not  regard  this  as  insignificant,  or  as  a  mere  result 
of  Christ's  sufferings.  These  things  are  written  as 
examples  for  us  all,  that  we  should  imitate  Joseph 
and  Nicodemus.  When  Christ  hangs  on  the  cross, 
that  is,  when  the  Gospel  is  persecuted  and  poor 
Christians  are  tortured  for  its  sake,  we  should 
stand  forth,  and,  not  heeding  the  tyrant's  wrath, 
glorify  God's  Son  and  His  Word,  and  honor  it  by 
publicly  confessing  it  until  Christ  who  died  shall 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  219 

appear  in  His  glorious  resurrection,  when  faint- 
hearted, timid,  and  fearful  Christians  also  shall 
receive  comfort  and  return  to  the  confession. 

Such  changes  shall  always  occur  in  the  Church. 
Some  are  offended  and  fall  back,  and  generally  the 
strongest  grow  weak  when  affliction  comes,  while 
the  weakest  advance  and  let  their  joyful  confession 
be  heard,  so  that  there  are  always  some  who 
acknowledge  and  confess  Christ.  Whether  it  is 
unwillingness  or  inability  that  keeps  the  strong 
from  doing  this,  on  account  of  the  offence,  the  very 
weakest,  who  make  no  display  at  all,  must  do  it 
for  them,  and  the  former  then  learn  and  experience 
the  utter  nothingness  of  men  when  God  removes 
His  Spirit  from  them.  God,  as  a  rich  House-holder, 
wants  all  kinds  of  servants  in  His  house ;  not  only 
such  as  are  strong  and  full  grown,  but  also  such  a> 
are  weak  and  small.  That  the  strong  may  not 
despise  the  rest,  they  have  occasion  given  them  to 
see  weakness  in  themselves ;  and  that  no  one  may 
judge  his  fellow,  God's  Spirit  comes  upon  the  weak, 
admonishing,  comforting  and  strengthening  them 
in  such  measure  that  all  must  see  and  praise  God's 
power  in  them.  The  sufferings  of  our  dear  Lord 
Jesus  operate  thus  in  His  Church  forever,  in  order 
that  it  may  not  go  to  ruin,  but  stand  and  grow  and 
expand. 

What,  however,  is  the  effect  on  those  who  hate 
the  Lord  Jesus,  and  who  have  no  peace  until  they 
have  crucified  Him  ?  Just  the  reverse.  The  effect 
of  Christ's  death  can  be  compared  to  the  effect  of 
the  sun,  which  is  different  on  different  materials. 
Wax  is  softened  and  melted  by  the  sun,  while  mud 
is  made  hard  and  drv.     Pious  hearts  are  made  so 


220  THIRTEENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

cheerful  and  bold  by  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  that 
they  venture  to  do  what  they  would  by  no  means 
have  attempted  while  Christ  yet  lived. 

The  godless  Jews  hurried  Christ  off  to  death  in 
the  hope  that,  when  He  should  have  been  silenced, 
their  cares  would  forever  be  gone.  But  when  their 
malice  was  gratified  in  seeing  that  Christ  had  died 
upon  the  cross  and  was  laid  into  a  new  tomb,  they 
begin  to  be  uneasy,  and  they  all  go  to  Pilate  and 
say : 

"Sir,  we  remember  that  that  deceiver  said,  while 
He  was  yet  alive,  After  three  days  I  will  rise  again. 
Command  therefore  that  the  sepulchre  be  made 
sure  until  the  third  day,  lest  His  disciples  come  by 
night,  and  steal  Him  away,  and  say  unto  the  people, 
He  is  risen  from  the  dead :  so  the  last  error  shall  be 
worse  than  the  first." 

If  we  carefully  notice  these  words  we  shall  find 
what  kind  of  hearts  these  people  had.  They  re- 
membered Christ's  sayings  well  enough  and  under- 
stood them  too,  but  what  fruit  did  His  sayings 
bring  forth  in  them  ?  Joseph  and  IsTicodemus,  who, 
no  doubt,  also  remembered  these  words  and  com- 
forted themselves  with  them  at  the  time  they  were 
spoken,  are  now  made  courageous  and  joyful  by 
them,  and  hope  for  every  blessing.  But  these 
knaves  grow  restless,  and  begin  to  get  scared  at  the 
dead  Man,  however  natural  it  may  otherwise  be 
for  men  not  to  fear  an  enemy  after  they  know  him 
to  be  dead.  The  wicked  Jews  enjoy  no  such  com- 
posure, but,  as  we  see,  they  fear  the  departed  Christ, 
who  is  lying  in  the  tomb. 

Before  Pilate  they  pretended  that  His  disciples 
might  steal  Him  away  and  say  that  He  is  risen ; 
11* 


SERMONS  OX  THE  GOSPELS.  221 

but  in  their  hearts  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus  are 
such  a  pricking  and  piercing  thorn  that  they  anxi- 
ously ask  themselves  :  What  if  they  were  true  after 
all  ?  What  if  He  should  be  the  Messiah  and  rise 
again  from  the  dead?  What  would  become  of  us 
then? — This  disturbs  and  disheartens  them.  But" 
they  are  none  the  better  for  these  thoughts.  They 
do  not  argue  thus  :  Alas,  what  have  we  done !  Let 
us  yet  creep  to  the  cross  and  not  despise  the  excel- 
lent admonitions  and  miracles  which  came  to  light 
at  His  death. — No,  they  do  not  want  to  think  in 
this  way.  They  persist  in  that  hatred  and  enmity 
with  which  they  persecuted  the  Lord  Jesus.  They 
perceptibly  grow  worse  and  more  wicked  still. 
They  devise  all  possible  means  and  ways  for  annihi- 
lating the  Lord  Jesus  and  for  diminishing  His  glory. 
This  too  was  written  as  an  example  and  warning 
for  us,  that,  when  we  see  similar  things  done  by 
the  enemies  of  the  Word,  we  may  not  become 
frightened.  God's  inevitable  rule  is  this :  the  longer 
a  man  willfully  opposes  the  Word,  the  deeper  he 
must  sink  into  sin,  and  the  longer  he  seeks  rest, 
the  greater  shall  grow  his  restlessness  and  fear.  It 
was  just  so  too  in  the  case  of  the  blood  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  of  which  we  heard  above.  The  Jews  thought 
it  a  very  little  thing  that  they  nailed  Christ  to  the 
cross  and  slew  Him.  In  a  deliberate,  careless  and 
trifling  spirit  they  say :  "His  blood  be  on  us,  and 
on  our  children."  They  afterward  found  what  a 
little  thing  it  was,  alas,  for  Jerusalem  and  the  whole 
land  to  be  ruined  on  account  of  this.  Here  the 
case  is  exactly  as  it  was  there.  They  thought :  If 
only  this  Jesus  were  out  of  the  way  once,  we  should 
not  be  troubled  any  more.     Now,  in  the  2.  chapter 


'222  THIRTEENTH  PASSION -SERMON. 

of  Acts  it  is  written  that  Christ  was  "delivered  by 
the  determinate  counsel  and  foreknowledge  of  God" 
into  the  shameful  death  upon  the  cross.  This  only 
increased  the  fears  of  the  Jews,  so  that  they  had 
less  peace  than  before.  The  words  of  Christ, 
although  they  did  not  believe  them,  still  lay  in 
their  hearts  like  a  burning  fire,  or  a  gnawing  worm. 
While  they  could  not  believe  them,  they  still  could 
not  altogether  set  them  aside.  So  it  must  always 
be  with  the  foes  of  the  Word.  The  more  they 
seek  peace  by  means  of  tyranny,  the  deeper  they 
fall,  not  only  into  trouble,  but  also  into  sin. 

Although  their  plans  may  be  laid  in  the  greatest 
wisdom,  they  shall  find  in  the  end  that  they  have 
only  injured  their  cause,  and  aided  the  Gospel  in 
spite  of  themselves,  just  as  it  was  with  the  Jews. 
These  demanded  guards  of  Pilate,  who  should  make 
the  sepulchre  sure  until  the  third  day.  "Pilate 
said  unto  them,  Ye  have  a  watch :  go  your  way, 
make  it  as  sure  as  ye  can."  Matthew  says,  "They 
went  and  made  the  sepulchre  sure,  sealing  the 
stone,  and  setting  a  watch."  This  they  did  to  pre- 
vent the  disciples  from  stealing  the  body  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  and  from  telling  the  people  that  Christ 
was  risen  from  the  dead.  It  was  very  wisely 
schemed,  but  how  did  it  succeed  ?  Their  very  fears 
were  realized.  When,  early  on  Easter  morning, 
Christ  had  risen  from  the  dead,  and  the  angel 
descended  from  heaven  and  came  to  the  sepulchre 
and  rolled  back  the  stone  from  the  door,  and  a 
great  earthquake  came,  the  keepers  did  shake,  and 
became  as  dead  men.  As  soon  as  they  had  recov- 
ered from  the  shock,  they  gathered  themselves  up, 
one  ran  this  way,  another  that,  and  came  to  Jeru- 


SERMONS  ON  THE  GOSPELS.  223- 

salem,  where  they  told  the  chief  priests  all  the 
things  that  were  done.  What,  think  you,  must 
then  have  been  the  thoughts  of  these  priests?  How 
must  their  hearts  not  have  quaked  and  trembled ! 
They  could  not  look  on  it  as  a  jest,  for  there  stood 
their  own  witnesses,  the  soldiers  of  Pilate,  whom 
Pilate  himself  had  sent  to  guard  the  tomb.  These 
not  only  told  them,  but  also  showed  in  their  entire 
conduct,  what  had  happened.  So  severe  a  fright  as 
theirs  had  been,  is  not  so  easily  concealed.  The 
speech  betrays  it;  the  countenance  shows  it;  the 
whole  body  is  so  affected  by  it,  as  to  make  it  known. 
It  is,  therefore,  easily  seen  that  this  message  must 
have  terribly  frightened  the  chief  priests  and  elders. 
Instead,  however,  of  being  bettered  by  this  mes- 
sage, they  only  rushed  deeper  into  sin  and  made 
their  evil  conscience  worse.  They  held  a  council 
on  that  very  Sabbath  day,  and  gave  much  money 
to  the  soldiers  that  they  might  help  them  lie,  and 
instructed  them  to  say,  "His  disciples  came  by 
night,  and  stole  Him  away  while  we  slept."  In 
this  way  these  poor  fellows  sought  to  console  and 
help  themselves.  They  believed  in  their  hearts 
that  Christ,  whom  fhey  had  delivered  to  die, 
though  innocent,  had  risen  from  the  dead.  Each 
one  can  imagine  for  himself  how  this  must  have 
troubled  them ;  for,  under  such  circumstances,  their 
hearts  could  never  have  been  calm.  And  yet,  they 
gave  much  money  to  have  their  lies  spread,  and  to 
have  people  persuaded  to  believe  what  they  them- 
selves did  not  believe.  They  who  thus  willfully 
resist  the  truth,  and  adorn  and  comfort  themselves 
with  known  falsehoods,  are  surely  spiteful  and 
desperate  wretches.     We  should  learn  this,  so  that 


224  THIRTEENTH  PASSION-SERMON. 

we  may  know  how  to  look  upon  the  foes  of  the 
Word.  He  who  resists  the  truth,  as  has  been  said 
already,  has  only  falsehood  left  to  shield  him. 

In  the  meanwhile  our  dear  Lord  Jesus  comforts 
His  few  scattered  followers,  and  shows  Himself  to 
them,  and  proves  to  them  by  very  deed  that  He  is 
not  dead,  but  living,  and  living  as  the  Conqueror  of 
death  forever.  The  lies  of  those  who  hate  the 
Word  only  help  so  much  the  more  to  spread  the 
tidings  and  to  give  them  notoriety.  Had  the  Jews 
not  guarded  the  tomb  themselves,  the  falsehood, 
that  Christ's  body  had  been  stolen,  would  have 
been  more  plausible ;  but  it  does  not  serve  its  pur- 
pose ;  for  the  guards  had  been  stationed  around  the 
tomb,  and  the  door  of  the  sepulchre  had  been  care- 
fully sealed.  The  very  fact  of  their  fleeing  suffi- 
ciently shows  that  a  higher  and  greater  power  than 
that  of  Pilate  and  his  guards  was  present. 

So  it  always  is  with  the  enemies  of  the  Gospel. 
They  must  resort  to  base  and  blasphemous  lies, 
which,  however,  do  not  harm  the  Word,  but  further 
it  in  spite  of  them.  This  should  move  every  one  to 
learn  to  know  and  to  flee  from  lies,  and  to  abide  by 
the  Word  and  by  the  truth.  God  be  praised  that 
some  in  our  day  have  learned  this,  and  that  the 
Papists  only  advanced  the  cause  of  the  Gospel  with 
their  lying  and  clamoring  and  scribbling !  Their 
lies  are  published  in  such  clumsy  shape  that  men 
are  driven  to  the  truth  by  them.  The  longer  the 
enemies  of  the  truth  attack  it,  the  more  violent 
they  become ;  but  the  suffering  of  our  dear  Lord 
Jesus  has  brought  it  about  that  they  must  thus, 
against  their  will,  further  the  truth. 


